Tickets sell out as Taiwanese cheerleaders Rakuten Girls spark frenzy for Hong Kong Premier League football clash
- Announcement of live cheerleading performance sees 1,500 tickets snapped up for May 7’s match between RCFC and HK U23
- ‘We hope this can bring some ideas or insight to our fellow clubs for attracting fans to matches,’ RCFC head coach says
Tickets for May 7’s Hong Kong Premier League match between RCFC and HK U23 have already sold out after organisers announced a live appearance from popular Taiwanese cheerleading squad the Rakuten Girls.
One of five matches on the final day of the season, the clash at Tsing Yi Sports Ground will provide a dash of sideline entertainment rarely seen in domestic football in the city.
All 1,500 tickets – priced at HK$80 – for the New Territories venue were snapped up within one day of going on sale on Tuesday afternoon.
“We are very happy to see how quickly the tickets have gone,” RCFC head coach Ho Shun-yin said. “Maybe this is something new for the fans, but the response has been overwhelming.
“The cheerleading team is quite famous in Taiwan as they are from a baseball team and this will be their first visit to the Hong Kong Premier League. We hope this can bring some ideas or insight to our fellow clubs for attracting fans to matches.”
Ho said the club is still working on details for the Rakuten Girls’ performance and will seek approval from the relevant authorities once they have a plan.
The club have not disclosed the amount paid to the cheerleaders, only saying the bulk of the expense came from a sponsor, and that RCFC would only bear a small amount of the cost.
“Sometimes we need something more than football to attract the fans. We will see how it works this time and decide what to do in the future,” Ho added.
The Hong Kong Football Association, meanwhile, said the crucial fixture on the final day between Kitchee and Lee Man will move to 6pm, three hours later than originally scheduled.
In a press statement, the governing body said the match – which will decide who wins the title – would be rescheduled as agreed by both clubs.
All five matches on the final day were set for 3pm, in the interests of fairness for all of the teams in the league.
But only Kitchee’s match with Lee Man will have an impact on the destination of the championship trophy, meaning officials will not potentially affect results elsewhere by delaying the kick-off.
The later start time could also help attract more fans in the evening.
