OPINION: It was supposed to be a historic night in Apia as Super Rugby came to town for the first time - however organisers let the locals down by making ticket prices unaffordable to most would-be attendees.
Bringing rugby to more people around the world is fantastic for the game.
But on Friday night, Samoa hosted its first ever Super Rugby match in front of what can only be described as a very mediocre crowd.
So much so, the crowd at the game made the crowd at the Wellington Sevens look good.
Ticket prices for the match is the reason so many seats were left empty.
Through Ticketmaster, a seat would have set you back nearly NZ$250 per person.
To put in perspective, the average wage in Samoa is less than NZ$2 an hour - an equivalent of 125 working hours.
In comparison, the most expensive seated ticket to the Blues next match against the British and Irish Lions in Auckland at Eden Park costs NZ$129.
SANZAAR has been "fully supportive" of growing the game and hosting Super Rugby in the Pacific Islands is fantastic, but what is the point when attending is all but impossible for one of the most passionate rugby fan bases in the world?
Two years ago, the All Blacks took on Samoa at the same ground in front of a sell-out crowd, something that was absolutely amazing to see.
It was as if the entire island nation had crammed into Apia Park.
However, the Samoan Rugby Union lost more than NZ$1 million hosting that Test, which will means it probably be a long wait until the men in black make a return to the islands.
And judging by the attendee numbers tonight, it could also be a long wait for Apia to get another Super Rugby match.
Money controls almost everything these days, but surely a plan that involved selling cheaper tickets to ensure a jam packed crowd on such a big night would have been the smarter way to go.
Instead of the match being a spectacle and something to remember for the Samoan people, the only thing that it will be remembered for are the grossly overpriced seats and the half empty stadium.
Caley is a digital producer based in Christchurch.
