World Cup boss Andrew Hill put the onus on Canberra rugby league officials to take advantage of a wave of new customers that attended international games in the capital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hill admits he hoped for bigger crowds at each game played at Canberra Stadium with a total of 24,455 fans coming through the gates across three fixtures.
But he says the majority that did attend were new rugby league customers and Canberra needs to capitalise on that to ensure the game continues to flourish in the capital.
More than half of Canberra's total crowd figure were on hand to see Australia trounce France in week two as 12,293 watched a Wade Graham-inspired Kangaroos outfit run riot.
Just 5429 saw a Mitchell Moses masterclass guide Lebanon to victory over France in week one, while 6733 witnessed Terry Campese's return to Canberra Stadium in Italy's clash with Fiji on Friday night.
But Hill maintains Canberra fans embraced the event "in terms of community spirit" and says ,"the activation in the community over the last four weeks has been really positive".
"There's no doubt we would have like more people to come through but live attendances is one measure," Hill said.
"If we look at broadcasts, if we look at the social media reach, if we look at the interest in the games, they've been very substantial figures.
"Always when crowds are down it will put more pressure on 'why did we get the event?' Whether it's sport or the arts or anything.
"It's a reminder to the people of the region to keep getting events we've got to keep coming out and supporting them.
"Not saying that Canberra didn't support, because I think still the crowds were reasonable without being brilliant."
Hill dubbed Canberra Stadium a "first class" facility and says all five teams that played at the venue commented on the quality of the surface.
The World Cup is being played across 13 cities and Hill says Canberra Stadium boasts the best surface of the grounds he has attended.
Hill will join the Canterbury Bulldogs as chief executive officer when the World Cup comes to a close and he says the exposure gained by hosting games cannot be understated.
"The feedback from the five teams that played here was that they've certainly enjoyed the opportunity to play here," Hill said.
"Each of them have commented on how good the surface is so I've got to acknowledge the curator of the stadium. Everyone has commented on the surface. The facility itself is a fantastic facility.
"Two million people watched the Australian-France game here in Australia alone on the Seven network. While our crowds may have been down, people have certainly seen it - 150 countries have taken broadcast.
"For the city of Canberra and the ACT region, to be showcased around so many countries, we've got to remind ourselves - yes, we would have liked a few more people through the gates - but it's been showcased to a global audience."
