Another disappointing crowd at the Lions’ second tour match against the Golden Lions suggests that the elite tourists may no longer have the magnetic power they once had.

An official figure of 12,000 was reported for the opening clash against the Royal XV although if you had been there you would have wondered where half of them were hiding in the 42,000 capacity Royal Bakofeng Stadium. Many more tickets were sold by accounts but the Bulls’ march to the Super 14 Final – that took place at Loftus Versfeld the same afternoon – meant many opted for cold beer and a braai in front of the big game at home.

There was no such distraction on Wednesday night when the Golden Lions played host to their namesake but sadly, once again there was row upon row of empty seats. A crowd of just 22,218 were present in the 60,000 capacity stadium. An evening kick-off in one of the less desirable areas of town and a lack of parking were two of the reasons doing the rounds as officials tried their best to avoid the idea that the Lions are not the draw they once were.

There will be more of the same this weekend when the Lions take on the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. The 48,000 capacity Vodacom Park will be half full at best with tickets being given away by the handful in the lead up to the game.

And further trouble lies ahead with a Sharks side stripped of its 10 internationals will struggle to lure the masses to Kings Park in Durban next Wednesday.

The decision by South Africa coach Peter de Villiers to deny his Springboks the chance to lock horns with the Lions in the build-up games has no doubt played its part in this apparent lack of interest amongst fans.

In addition, there are the ticket prices that locals have told me are a “joke”. South Africa has not escaped the global downturn and fans are refusing to dig deep to buy into what is constantly hailed as a “once in a lifetime experience”. Some season ticket holders expressed their dissatisfaction to me at the fact they would have to fork out again for the visit of the Lions.

For example, a normal ticket to watch the Cheetahs play a Super 14 clash would set you back in the region of a fiver while tickets for the Lions clash will cost you about £25. Not big numbers for those travelling from the UK maybe but an insult to those who support the teams week in and week out.

The Test matches are sold out we are told but there are another three games after this weekend’s clash to exacerbate the problem. And one of those matches will be against the newly-formed Southern Kings who are starting from scratch in terms of attracting support.

The SA Rugby marketing campaign has stretched far and wide but the fans are not buying into it. All these factors have contributed in one way or another to this very visible problem that will need to be addressed in Australia in four years time.