The League of Volleyball Nations (VNL) has crossed the 25,000 tickets sold for the first stage of the circuit which will take place from June 11 to 15 in Quebec.
For this comeback to Quebec after the two games between Canada and the Netherlands in 2013, the public responded with enthusiasm and there is still a month before the first game.
Double Olympic champions, the French will be monitored as well as the Italians who finished at the foot of the podium in Paris. Canada, (10th) Argentina (11th) and Germany (6th), which took part in the last Olympic tournament as well as Bulgaria will complete the executives.
“Sales go beyond our expectations,” said the president of the organizing committee Gilles Lépine. We are really happy. We had to reach the set of a million dollars in ticketing income to pay our costs. It is successful and we can breathe better. We are responsible for 25 percent of the budget and volleyball canada is responsible for 75 percent. ”
Salle fills to be provided against the double Olympic champions
The day of June 14 may be memorable for Quebec volleyball. “We are heading for a packed room,” said Lépine, whose committee had a cushion of $ 50,000 obtained during the presentation of the continental women’s championship in 2023. Already 8,000 tickets have found takers, which represents a record in the history of the League of Nations in Canada, and we plan to display full with a crowd of 10,0000 people. “
Ottawa welcomed a crowd of 7,500 amateurs last year on the occasion of the passage of men in the federal capital.
For the occasion, Canada will face the Olympic champions in the first game of the day at 4:30 p.m.. A Bulgaria-Germany duel will follow in the evening.
Biggest event in Quebec soil since 1976
“It’s going to be the biggest volleyball event in Quebec since the 1976 Olympic final in Montreal,” said Lépine. During the final between Poland and the USSR, the forum was filled with the plug (19,000 spectators). ” Poland had then won gold. The preliminary tournament had been presented to the Maurice-Richard arena.
An even higher goal
If the event will make its price, Lépine hopes that the craze will continue. “We hope for total sales between 35,000 and 40,000 tickets,” he said. It would be phenomenal. The last month before the event is very good for sales as we saw for the continental women’s championship. ”
Some factors suggested that the League of Nations would have a crowd success. “The success of the continental women’s championship in 2023 where we had played closed counters the last two days was a positive sign just like the three red and gold programs this year which displayed complete. There is also the fact that Ottawa has made profits in the last three or four years. ”
This year, Ottawa will host the first stage of the female circuit from June 4 to 8 at Place TD.
match hors-concours
To put the table, Canada and Italy will cross the iron in an off-competition match on June 8 at 6 p.m. at the PEPS which will also serve as a training board during the week.
“We decided to take a financial risk by offering this match, but the chances are good that we can attract a crowd of 2000 spectators, which would allow us to pay our costs,” said Lépine. We will house and feed the two teams. ”
“Tickets will be cheaper (between $ 18 and $ 23), to add Lépine. Canada did not face Italy at the League of Nations in Quebec. Given that this is the first step of the season, the two teams had no problem showing up in Quebec a few days earlier. ”
Canada had surprised Italy in its last match of the preliminary tournament to qualify for the round of the 2021 Olympic Games medals in Tokyo.
