Chiefs Rugby

 Many years ago, I can't actually remember when, but I do know it was before 2019. I started working for the regional rugby team on a casual basis.

It had started a few years before that even, that I wanted to volunteer and do something. I saw an advert for volunteers to help at major sporting events, when held in the city and so I went along. I did this for a few years, always in a role of greeting people and getting them excited and prepared with their ticket for the gate ahead. Or even just answering questions about where to find something.

Then they asked if anyone was interested in casual work instead? It would only be on the 6-7 game days in the season, but we would work inside the stadium instead in some capacity. I was working on a casual hourly basis at the time (although it was equal to about 3 days a week all year so wasn't that casual), and a little extra money was not going to do any harm. The games were always going to be on either a Friday night or sometime over the weekend and that fit in with the boys and life in general.

I ended up as a gate supervisor. Support the staff at the gate as they do the ticketing and deal with/solve any ticketing issues that arose. We don't get to watch the game, well, the second half if we want to but we are always working during the first half.

I have written about sunny days at the game in the past few years.

It is actually now a role that I really don't need to do, I actually work full time permanently and so the money necessity is not there, but for some reason, I just don't seem to give it up when they ask each year if I am available for the next season ahead. When I first left the family home, I decided that keeping it on was a good idea as yes, it did bring in a little bit of playing money, and it got me out of the unit, where I was living alone and so it was good for me to have something other than my job to focus on (I do not class this as a job, although it has its stressful piss me off moments for sure!) and despite everything else, it is still actually a little bit of relaxed fun, and I enjoy the atmosphere.

I did justify itself to me by saying that the small extra $$ I received were good for spending money for my travels and seeing as I was just in UK and Rarotonga last year then it does help my travel fund, not enough to buy a plane ticket but allows for some extra spending money when on holiday.

Last year, we all complained about how unprofessional we all looked in the uniform/outfit they wanted us to wear. We are front facing with the patron and they are usually annoyed about their ticket not working or being wrong and obviously, I am the one stood there informing them that they can't come into the stadium until they go and get their ticket sorted, which believe me, some take great offense to! So, to have this person, dressed in casual with a large yellow bib hanging off of us looks crap, in my opinion and I feel we should be dressed much smarter.

This year I asked if it was alright to dress a little smarter and NOT to wear the bib?

The new manager agreed and so I got myself a smart suit and shirt with a necktie for winter and presented myself in a different way. I don't always have to wear the jacket, especially when it is 25c outside, but in my opinion (and that of another colleague who followed suit and wore a smarter outfit) we now look professional, more in control and people are definitely kinder in the way they speak to us as they feel we have some authority and are not just a casual staff who is being paid minimum wage to cause them hassle on game night. (We are casual minimum paid staff, but it doesn't show)

This season has started for 2025, and yes, I am back here doing it all again 😃

I have said that I would really like to move to a corporate serving role inside the corporate boxes and not stood outside in all weathers. After all the years I have been doing this, it would be nice to be inside and doing a different role, but secretly, I think I would miss my gate (although not some of the drama and crap I deal with that we are just not paid enough per hour to deal with)

Watch this space next year