There are lots of wealthy Rugby fans. The kick offs are about 5.00 pm which means the stadium can be open for hours before and after. The club intend to extend opening beyond 2 hours before and 2 after and I'd expect it to be open at 12.00 or 1.00 pm and close at 10.00 or 11.00..
The premium restaurants and all the GA bars and food outlets are going to be making way, way in excess of £1m for these events. I can see the restaurants serving pre-match and post-match as well. It could even get close to £2m, which is why the place is at the top of the list for rugby, boxing, NFL, concerts. These are big days out and people want to 'make a day of it'. This is a stadium that can offer that with quality and value for money, which is literally a foreign concept.
Previously, I've referred to a meeting from last summer that DL hosted for employees and sponsors. It was very restricted in terms of attendees and was partly to set out how we are going to pay for the stadium. Someone on SSC knew someone there. That person is a Gooner but he said that DL had plans and deals in progress that will blow every other club and stadium out of the water and pay for the place with minimal pain. He said Arsenal were made to look like a bunch of amateurs by comparison.
I would expect that the rugby deals were on the table already. RDBD is spot on. Saracens will be using the stadium for Cat. A games. I can see a greater long term tie-in between the 2 clubs, as well as an NFL franchise. It has to come because this hasn't been built on a whim. People criticise the club but in business terms, our owners are shrewd, shrewd operators and will have been using the build time to get all of this lined up.
This stadium is our and the area's future. It's a wonderful thing.