New IRFU Ticket Strategy

Riskymove

For the forthcoming 2011 RBS 6 Nations fixtures versus France (Sunday, Feb. 13) and England (Saturday, March 19), the Irish Rugby Football Union is introducing a new tiered pricing structure.

Share The Aviva Stadium has a capacity of 51,700 seats. 21,700 of those seats are committed to IRFU programmes across advance 10 year premium ticket sales, advanced 10 year ticket sales (2003, 2005), visiting Union allocations, sponsors, former internationals, press box, corporate hospitality programme, corporate boxes and committee box.
The remaining 30,000 seats (approximate), which include general admission seats and seats at premium level, are committed to the branches for dissemination amongst the constituent clubs of the IRFU.

This new tiered pricing structure will see the introduction of five general admission ticket categories for these two RBS 6 Nations matches

The prices of these tickets, with approximate numbers per category, will be as follows: -

Schoolboy/Schoolgirl: €15 X 1,800 tickets in North Stand (62.5% price reduction)

Category 4: €50 X 2,500 in East and West Upper Stands /Touchlines (50% price reduction)

Category 3: €65 X 5,000 in East / West / South Upper Stands
and portions of North Stand ( 35% price reduction)

Category 2: €80 X 4,500 in East /West/ South and portions of North Stand (20% price reduction)

Category 1: €90 X 13,000 in East / West /South Stands (10% price reduction)

Premium Level Tickets: 3,200 will continue to be available for sale at €125

The IRFU Committee has formalised the new tiered pricing structure following a recommendation from its Management Committee.

In making the announcement of the new ticket pricing structure Pat Fitzgerald, Chairman of the IRFU Commercial and Marketing Committee, who chaired the ticket working group, said:

"I believe our new approach, which reflects input from our branches, our clubs and the general public, will go a long way towards balancing the requirements of the differing constituents. The new structure sees a reduction of between 10% and 62.5% in the ticket pricing from category 1 to schoolboy/schoolgirl tickets.

"In approaching the issue we were tasked by the Union to come up with a pricing structure which would provide attractive options to supporters at various levels and secure capacity crowds for both France and England. We also needed to be cognisant of the key role international fixtures play in generating the income required to manage and develop the game at both the domestic and professional levels."

The new ticket pricing will not involve linkage and will be reviewed in advance of the RBS 2012 6 Nations series.

see www.irishrugby.ie for more

Riskymove

There has been a lot of calls for tiered tickets so am glad to see a move to that direction

I have already paid for my 6N tickets so remains to be seen how that works out!

Luckycharm

That is alot more realistic - given my ticket (got for free) for the All black game South Upper was the same as my friends which was West middle tier.

LeinsterDub

May consider tickets the next time around

chris85

A move in the right direction. They are competitive prices i think.

thomond2006

That's more like it.

I'm particularly happy about the schoolchild tickets. Ah if only I was one/two years younger!

chris_c

ok i this is a start but i think 80 or 90 euro for a ticket in this day and age is still a but much.

chris_c

chris_c wrote: »

ok i this is a start but i think 80 or 90 euro for a ticket in this day and age is still a but much.

then buy one of the cheaper ones??



Think the IRFU have gotten it right tbh. Check this thread we had a few weeks ago
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056085817

Trojan

At least they've done something about it. Higher tiers are pricey so it'll be interesting to see if those tickets sell out.

danthefan

Looks perfectly reasonable to me.

OldRio

Most if not all stadiums in the world have different prices for seats depending on the view. Only the IRFU could dream up the original policy.
It's an improvement but some of those prices are still to expensive.

johnfás

And will they give any compensation to people like me who have held ten year tickets for a very long time, paying hand over fist supporting the IRFU, and who are now paying way over the odds for tickets which are reducing in price? I think not. I agree tickets are overpriced and should be reduced, but it isn't much consolation that the guy sitting next to me will have paid considerably less for the pleasure. They're opening up a tinderbox.

PhatPiggins

Personally I still don't think it'll be a sell out for either game. Maybe the England game but only if the British come over in force.

Beau

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Personally I still don't think it'll be a sell out for either game. Maybe the England game but only if the British come over in force.

Nah they'll defo be sell outs.

Don't understand how parts of the north and south stand are valued more than some of the east and west tickets?

Mr.Applepie

Beau wrote: »

Nah they'll defo be sell outs.

Don't understand how parts of the north and south stand are valued more than some of the east and west tickets?

Yeah I noticed that as well. Apparently being at an end is better visually than being up high. I actually like the perspective you get from on high.

danthefan wrote: »

Looks perfectly reasonable to me.

45% of the tickets came down by only 10 euro. While I'm happy they have brought in tiered tickets, I think 80 euro should have been the limit. That was the cost of tickets in croker wasn't it?

Zuffer

Mr.Applepie wrote: »

45% of the tickets came down by only 10 euro. While I'm happy they have brought in tiered tickets, I think 80 euro should have been the limit. That was the cost of tickets in croker wasn't it?

I think it was 80 last spring for Wales, but the price for France 09 was 90 (I think I still have the stub knocking around somewhere). England/France is more expensive than Wales/Italy/Scotland, which makes sense, more people want to go to the higher profile games. The place will sell out no problem at these new prices.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Speaking as someone who probably won't go the games (poor student) the IRFU should charge the maximum that they can sell out at.

Given that we are talking about France and England they should sell out at these prices which means that I for one am very happy.

X files

Still expensive for a heavily funded stadium.
After watching all the matches on tv I realise the game is becoming boring and aint worth the euro.

Maldjd23

Happy to be corrected if i am wrong but are all the other European nations not charging less??..Are two thirds of the seats not still at the old price??...Reducing some schoolboy tickets and tickets in the brutal north stand is a start but not an awful lot IMHO. All the autumn Internationals failed to sell out for the simple reason tickerts are far to expensive..I Go to both Rugby and Football internationals and the FAI/IRFU couldn't fill Landsdowne for games against Argentina(football) and New Zealand( Rugby). Two of the best teams in the world. People are most certainly not stupid and will not pay silly money. I expect the same scenario come the 6 Nations....Empty seats......The only benefit i can see regarding the IRFU is the scraping of the twin packaging where the public must buy tickets for two games...Other then that..No benefit in my eyes...

toomevara

Maldjd23 wrote: »

. People are most certainly not stupid and will not pay silly money.

Of course the fundamental problem is that for the past decade or so people were most definitely stupid and were quite happily paying stupid money for entrance to massively price--inflated, over valued sporting events in Ireland. The reality now is that people are justifiably massively price sensitive and on the look out for value. As someone who attends rugby of both codes in the UK regularly the price of international matches in Ireland has always struck me as ridiculous.

One of our esteemed contributors on here made the fantastic point that you could have an entire Leinster season ticket for the price of two AI's....if you're watching the shekels (and lets face it who isn't) its a complete no brainer...Heino, Magners rugby all season or two over hyped internationals...hmmm... lets see, thats a toughie

The AI series debacle (and thats what it was make no mistake) was the wake up call the IRFU needed, the signal that the party was over and some serious price recalibration was required...I'd be surprised if there isn't a radical re-think come the 6N. In a way they're lucky that it's England/France, the two marquee teams...but next season the Scottish and Italy games will have to be very competitively priced unless we want to be treated to more dispiriting 1/3 empty views of ghost-ship Aviva...

X files

good points a price correction is badly needed. a great day out but some of us are feeling the pinch

thomond2006

The Irish Rugby Football Union has today announced the ticket prices for the home international games against France and England this August with great value being offered across single tickets and family packages.


Ireland will take on both Scotland and France away in August before welcoming France back to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, August 20 and finishing their Rugby World Cup preparations against England on Saturday, August 27.
These two final games will see premium level tickets available at the Aviva Stadium for only €50, with other category tickets priced from €40 down to €20.

Schoolboy/girl tickets are available at only €10 with a family ticket being offered at €60 for a family of four (based on two adults and two children).
The tickets are being offered to rugby clubs throughout Ireland on a first preference basis and any tickets that are not taken up by the clubs will be distributed through the Irish Rugby Supporters Club.

IRFU Commercial & Marketing Chairman Pat Fitzgerald said: "These games represent a wonderful occasion for Irish rugby supporters to see the Ireland team play before they depart for the Rugby World Cup and an opportunity to enjoy the very top end of professional rugby in August.

"England and France in Dublin are two mouth-watering challenges and will certainly ensure a spectacle for the supporters.

"The pricing structure represents outstanding value and also includes a family ticket offer which we feel will be especially attractive during the summer holidays."

RUGBY WORLD CUP WARM-UPS: HOME GAME TICKET PRICES

Premium: €50
Category 1: €40
Category 2: €30
Category 3: Family Ticket €60 (adult €20, child €10 based on two adults and two children)
Category 4: €20
Schoolboy/girl: €10
Aviva Stadium Category Map


RUGBY WORLD CUP WARM-UP MATCHES:

Scotland v IRELAND
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Saturday, August 6, kick-off tbc

France v IRELAND
Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux
Saturday, August 13, kick-off tbc

IRELAND v France
Aviva Stadium
Saturday, August 20, kick-off tbc

IRELAND v England
Aviva Stadium
Saturday, August 27, kick-off tbc

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/22469.php