Ireland Supporters Club

theboss80

Just wondering if many of the regulaars here are actual members of the club? I would sign up but I think that €50 is a bit steep in fairness. I know you get a good shout on getting tickets for the games and all but is it really worth it? My wife wants to get us tickets for the Summer WC warm up but neither of us are in the supporters club. So are you a member and is it worth it in your opinion?

phog

I'm a member for the last few years and will not be continuing for the coming year.

As for international tickets - when they have them put them up for sale at 10:00am on a work day, I've asked that they run a lottery whereby the club would run a draw for the number of tickets that they have available for members that have expressed an interest in that particular match. In a given year if your name is selected for a ticket that rules you out for the remainder of the season unless the club have more tickets than requirements. Fell on deaf ears and thats the main reason for leaving the club.

hardCopy

Are the tickets distributed through Ticketmaster?

phog

hardCopy wrote: »

Are the tickets distributed through Ticketmaster?

I think they are, cant remember really but only to members of the IRSC.

Ticket news for the W/C warm up games

The Guinness Summer Series: Ireland V France and Ireland V England - These Are No Warm Ups! The Supporters Club is delighted to announce that tickets for the Guinness Summer Series will go on sale exclusively to Supporters Club members at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26th.

Ireland play France and England on successive weekends in August with ticket prices starting at €20 and a family ticket available for just €60.
This will be the last chance to see the Ireland team in action before they head to New Zealand so don’t miss your chance to see your rugby heroes in action in the Summer Sun!

Members may purchase up to four tickets per game and with ticket prices starting at just €20 there is great value to be had!

In addition to the main ticket sale the Supporters Club is also delighted to announce that we will be running our ever popular Match Day Event at the Ireland V France game.

Join us on Level 4 of the Aviva Stadium in the Havelock Suite for the pre-match build up then take your seats just outside the suite for Ireland’s last game of the series.

Then back into the Havelock Suite where we will be joined post match by some members of the Ireland team.
Tickets for the Match Day Event are 50 Euro and include match ticket.

Don't miss your chance to see the best rugby action this summer logon to the Supporters Club on Tuesday April 26th and get your ticket!

Sign Up To The Supporters Club Today

GUINNESS SUMMER SERIES: 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

hardCopy

phog wrote: »

I think they are, cant remember really but only to members of the IRSC.

Ticket news for the W/C warm up games

In ten years of trying to use ticketmaster I've never once managed to get tickets to a popular event.

I have no problem if the event is unpopular but any time I end up in their queue I seem to end up unlucky, I'd be sick if I paid for membership only to miss out repeatedly on the ticket site.

JustinDee

phog wrote: »

I think they are, cant remember really but only to members of the IRSC

No, they are not.
They are run through the IRFU's own system which is linked to the Supporters Club website.

In reply to your suggestion on balloting of tickets, it did not fall on deaf ears.
Balloting is not felt to be the fairest and evenly-keeled method of a sale to a very large and diverse membership.

Most ticket sales for entertainment and sporting events commence during the morning of a weekday, by the way. Nothing unusual about that.

phog

JustinDee wrote: »

No, they are not.
They are run through the IRFU's own system which is linked to the Supporters Club website.

In reply to your suggestion on balloting of tickets, it did not fall on deaf ears.
Balloting is not felt to be the fairest and evenly-keeled method of a sale to a very large and diverse membership.

Most ticket sales for entertainment and sporting events commence during the morning of a weekday, by the way. Nothing unusual about that.

Maybe not fell on deaf ears but it may as well have been. How can you say a lottery isnt a fair method of distribution, everyone that wants a ticket can submit their name, no crashed sites to deal with, no time constraints then let the distributors select the members agaisnt the available tickets.

When the MRSC rugby have less tickets than the demand they usually run a lottery when the IRSC have less tickets than the demand they go on a first come first served and crashed website basis at a time that may not suit all their members.

JustinDee

phog wrote: »

Maybe not fell on deaf ears but it may as well have been. How can you say a lottery isnt a fair method of distribution, everyone that wants a ticket can submit their name, no crashed sites to deal with, no time constraints then let the distributors select the members agaisnt the available tickets

When the MRSC rugby have less tickets than the demand they usually run a lottery when the IRSC have less tickets than the demand they go on a first come first served and crashed website basis at a time that may not suit all their members

There is nothing fairer than selling to the entire membership on a first-come, first-served basis. Everyone has the same chance of getting tickets as the next.
If a name wasn't selected in a ballot, the member losing out would be complaining that there should be a different method of sale. Not everyone can be pleased.

Demand for an Ireland game and a provincial game involve wholly different numbers.

phog

JustinDee wrote: »

There is nothing fairer than selling to the entire membership on a first-come, first-served basis. Everyone has the same chance of getting tickets as the next.
If a name wasn't selected in a ballot, the member losing out would be complaining that there should be a different method of sale. Not everyone can be pleased.

Demand for an Ireland game and a provincial game involve wholly different numbers.

Ever hear the saying you cant win if you're not in, well at least with a lottery every member that wants to be in can do so.

Very hard to compare provincial V national demand when the IRSC wont give details on the quantity of tickets available.

JustinDee

phog wrote: »

Very hard to compare provincial V national demand when the IRSC wont give details on the quantity of tickets available.

Demand for tickets of an International game is larger than of any provincial game. You don't even need the actual number of tickets to compare.

Riskymove

theboss80 wrote: »

Just wondering if many of the regulaars here are actual members of the club?

yes for many years now

My wife wants to get us tickets for the Summer WC warm up but neither of us are in the supporters club. So are you a member and is it worth it in your opinion?

I think it is worth it

I have only once failed to get tickets to games

I also got a hoodie, a Grand Slam Polo, Hats etc as renewal gifts which would relate to a good chunk of the €50 each year to begin with

Shelflife

If you are joining it in order to get tickets you will be disappointed. you will get tickets when they are freely available but when there is high demand its very hard to get them.

when the demand is high , the ticketing system will crash/freeze or you just wont know that they are on sale. the club means well and they try hard but it would seem that they are hamstrung by the irfu who just see the club as handy money.

Ive joined on two seperate occasions and been stung twice in the ticket dept. i wont be joining again.

phog

Riskymove wrote: »

yes for many years now



I think it is worth it

I have only once failed to get tickets to games

I also got a hoodie, a Grand Slam Polo, Hats etc as renewal gifts which would relate to a good chunk of the €50 each year to begin with

When were these given out to members as renewals gifts?

JustinDee

Shelflife wrote: »

If you are joining it in order to get tickets you will be disappointed. you will get tickets when they are freely available but when there is high demand its very hard to get them.

when the demand is high , the ticketing system will crash/freeze or you just wont know that they are on sale. the club means well and they try hard but it would seem that they are hamstrung by the irfu who just see the club as handy money.

Ive joined on two seperate occasions and been stung twice in the ticket dept. i wont be joining again.

It was not set up to be a ticket outlet.
Neither is it hamstrung by the union (it is a dept within the union).
Supporters event are organised for members, special offers on merchandise and then an unprecedented situation where non-rugby club supporters have a chance to go for match tickets.

theboss80

So im getting that the general feeling is that its not worth it? You cant be guaranteed of getting tickets for any high profile games and other than the events organised its basically for the previlage of saying you are a member?

phog

theboss80 wrote: »

So im getting that the general feeling is that its not worth it? You cant be guaranteed of getting tickets for any high profile games and other than the events organised its basically for the previlage of saying you are a member?

Got it in one, for tickets I think you might be better off joining a rugby club.

Guy:Incognito

UEFA use a lottery system every year for Champions League and Europa League finals, dealign with huge numbers. The entries are in before the Quarter finals are played so you have the combined fans of 8 clubs as well as anyone else that would fancy going all throwing their hats in the ring.

kerrysdad

IRFU GUINNESS SUMMER SERIES: 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

Scottish Rugby Union EMC Tests,Murrayfield,August 2011
Scotland v Ireland
Saturday 6 August, kick-off 3:00pm
Adults: Premium £20 (€22.80) and £10 (€11.40) Students/U18s: £5 (5.70) and £10 (€11.40)

JustinDee

Although ticket prices is off-topic here (Supporters Club has nothing to do with ticket prices), I have just got to ask, why do people keep comparing the Irish rugby market with the Scottish rugby market? They are nothing like each other.

hardCopy

kerrysdad wrote: »

IRFU GUINNESS SUMMER SERIES: 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

Scottish Rugby Union EMC Tests,Murrayfield,August 2011
Scotland v Ireland
Saturday 6 August, kick-off 3:00pm
Adults: Premium £20 (€22.80) and £10 (€11.40) Students/U18s: £5 (5.70) and £10 (€11.40)

€50 for a premium seat seems reasonable to me.

SRU are desparate to get a crowd in Murrayfield.

totallegend

JustinDee wrote: »

why do people keep comparing the Irish rugby market with the Scottish rugby market? They are nothing like each other.

+1.

I think €20 - 40 to watch Ireland play England or France is great value. I'll be there (if I can get a ticket, I'm not shelling out to join the supporters club). By that stage, the squads will be selected so in theory, you'll have the best players trying to nail down a jersey. Should be well worth a look.

Scotland's next marketing step will be paying lads to come into the ground. And in fairness, with the brand of rugby they're playing and the results they're getting, could you blame the crowds for staying away?

Cookiemunster

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

UEFA use a lottery system every year for Champions League and Europa League finals, dealign with huge numbers. The entries are in before the Quarter finals are played so you have the combined fans of 8 clubs as well as anyone else that would fancy going all throwing their hats in the ring.

Tickets for the London Olympics are also on sale through a lottery. And weren't the general sale RWC tickets sold through a lottery? Seems the IRSC are the only ones who don't think a lottery is fair.

JustinDee

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Tickets for the London Olympics are also on sale through a lottery. And weren't the general sale RWC tickets sold through a lottery? Seems the IRSC are the only ones who don't think a lottery is fair.

Nobody said that. No-one said a ballot-system wasn't fair.
I said the current method of sale was perfectly fair...and it is.

If you think ballot-sales yield no complaints or unhappy would-be-customers, you would be mistaken.

Riskymove

phog wrote: »

When were these given out to members as renewals gifts?

last year and this year

Riskymove

JustinDee wrote: »

Although ticket prices is off-topic here (Supporters Club has nothing to do with ticket prices), I have just got to ask, why do people keep comparing the Irish rugby market with the Scottish rugby market? They are nothing like each other.

because Irish people currently want to spend as little as possible on anything and are obsessed with the idea they are being 'ripped-off'

Tim_Murphy

Those prices are pretty good value IMO.

You'll always have moaners, whether it be about tickets, matches being on FTA TV or whatever else.

The supporters club offer people who might not otherwise get a chance an opportunity to get some. They do a pretty good job of this as far as I can see.

phog

Riskymove wrote: »

last year and this year

I've been a member for a few years and have never got a hoodie or a polo shirt as a gift for renewing. Are you sure these were gifts or were they available to purchase by members?

Riskymove

phog wrote: »

I've been a member for a few years and have never got a hoodie or a polo shirt as a gift for renewing. Are you sure these were gifts or were they available to purchase by members?

sometimes you can slip through the cracks because of timing, e.g. I never got "THE PACK" despite its advertising at the time.

Now that I reflect on it, the Polo shirt was last year when my wife renewed and the hoodie was recently when IU renewed so perhaps most people would just have gotten one of those two

In the early days I think i got the same beanie hat every year

I have also recieved scarves and other litlle gifts

Shelflife

Dont forget the bodhran !!!
Justin I never said the club was about tickets I merely said that if that was the reason he was joining then he would be disappointed .
The club organised an event for the Samoa game. I went with my son , it was well organised but I felt that they missed a trick with not having some of the nonplaying squad there. Also the two players who did come up didn't stay very long and left the kids disappointed that they didnt get autographs, another 15mins would have left everyone happy.

SomeFool

Riskymove wrote: »

In the early days I think i got the same beanie hat every year

Yeah I gave up after 3 beanie hats! Wasn't really in it for the tickets as such so it became a silly expence really.

Piliger

But ... out of the 52,000 tickets how many come anywhere near being available for the ordinary punter ?

JustinDee

Clubs have preference. Plenty of 'ordinary punters' in clubs.

skregs

JustinDee wrote: »

I said the current method of sale was perfectly fair...and it is.

Provided you have access to the internet on Friday mornings, which rules out anyone in school and people who work.

OP, join your local rugby club. Its about the same price, you dont have to do anything with the club if you dont want to and its much easier to get tickets

phog

skregs wrote: »

Provided you have access to the internet on Friday mornings, which rules out anyone in school and people who work.

OP, join your local rugby club. Its about the same price, you dont have to do anything with the club if you dont want to and its much easier to get tickets

I'm glad someone realises that not everyone has internet access at the times when the IRSC releases tickets to their members on a first come first served basis.

Riskymove

JustinDee wrote: »

Clubs have preference. Plenty of 'ordinary punters' in clubs.

In fairness, I agree

Many people overlook that point, the Supporters club only gets a relatively small allocation after clubs have recieved theirs.

Most tickets go to clubs and therefore people involved in playing and running clubs; what they do with those tickets is sometimes an issue but I think it is right that clubs get them.

phog

Riskymove wrote: »

In fairness, I agree

Many people overlook that point, the Supporters club only gets a relatively small allocation after clubs have recieved theirs.

Most tickets go to clubs and therefore people involved in playing and running clubs; what they do with those tickets is sometimes an issue but I think it is right that clubs get them.

I agree with this too, I have no issue with clubs getting tickets. However, as is fairly clear from my posts on this thread I have a huge issue how the Supporters Club offer tickets for purchasing to their members when they have some available.

Riskymove

phog wrote: »

I agree with this too, I have no issue with clubs getting tickets. However, as is fairly clear from my posts on this thread I have a huge issue how the Supporters Club offer tickets for purchasing to their members when they have some available.

yes I understand that point too

Cookiemunster

Piliger wrote: »

But ... out of the 52,000 tickets how many come anywhere near being available for the ordinary punter ?

I can't see them shifting all these tickets through the clubs. I reckon that the'll be available online eventually, just like last years AIs.

Riskymove

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I can't see them shifting all these tickets through the clubs. I reckon that the'll be available online eventually, just like last years AIs.

I think are talking more generally now than just these warm-up games

Shelflife

They know that it will be hard to shift them all , thats why they are offering them to the supporters club members, if they thought that they would shift them all they wouldnt put them on sale in this way through the supporters club.

this way they shift a few and have your money for four months and give you the impression that its worth while joining, then when you want tickets for a crucial game you wont get a smell of them or as phog says they will have a sale of a limited number of tickets (they never say how many as its shhhhh.... confidential) and the system will crash.

phog

Shelflife wrote: »

They know that it will be hard to shift them all , thats why they are offering them to the supporters club members, if they thought that they would shift them all they wouldnt put them on sale in this way through the supporters club.

this way they shift a few and have your money for four months and give you the impression that its worth while joining, then when you want tickets for a crucial game you wont get a smell of them or as phog says they will have a sale of a limited number of tickets (they never say how many as its shhhhh.... confidential) and the system will crash.

In fairness to them thay had 6Ns tickets on offer to members this year but because it was every man for himself I never got past the screen offering tickets, the bloody thing crashed.

JustinDee

System crashed in the first year it was used due to the huge increase in people accessing it. A crash later that november, was out of IRFU's hands due to a third party running it.
System has reverted to initial setup and has not crashed since that last time in 2008.

If some tickets sell out and others don't, there are no factors at work except market forces. Supply and demand, folks.
If supporters are choosy and only want to see England or New Zealand instead of "just" Italy or "just" Samoa as before, the increase in demand for other games cannot be steered.

Regarding ticket sale method, sure a ballot would be possible. It would cost extra in administration, just like the Olympics and UEFA tickets mentioned earlier in the thread. And if that happened, we'd see non-stop slamming of the price of the tickets then complaints from people who missed out tickets calling for previous method of sale.
If the sale was launched on a weekend day, there'd be complaints from people who only would be able to buy during the week.
You can't please everyone. Sånn er livet.

As I said earlier for the umpteenth time, the club was not set up as an outlet for tickets. It is a supporters club where members can avail of special offers or attend special events staged around the international season.

phog

JustinDee wrote: »

System crashed in the first year it was used due to the huge increase in people accessing it. A crash later that november, was out of IRFU's hands due to a third party running it.
System has reverted to initial setup and has not crashed since that last time in 2008.

If some tickets sell out and others don't, there are no factors at work except market forces. Supply and demand, folks.
If supporters are choosy and only want to see England or New Zealand instead of "just" Italy or "just" Samoa as before, the increase in demand for other games cannot be steered.

Regarding ticket sale method, sure a ballot would be possible. It would cost extra in administration, just like the Olympics and UEFA tickets mentioned earlier in the thread. And if that happened, we'd see non-stop slamming of the price of the tickets then complaints from people who missed out tickets calling for previous method of sale.
If the sale was launched on a weekend day, there'd be complaints from people who only would be able to buy during the week.
You can't please everyone. Sånn er livet.

.

I take your word that the site hasn't crashed but when your screen freezes when waiting for tickets to appear then it amounts to the same thing as far as I'm concerned.

Should a ballot be used only the successful members would have to pay the surcharge. Surely, if the club felt that this was an obstacle, then it could canvass the members on how they want future ticket sales to be made available and highlight the potential surcharge for using a ballot.

As I said earlier for the umpteenth time, the club was not set up as an outlet for tickets. It is a supporters club where members can avail of special offers or attend special events staged around the international season

From the Rugby Supporters Site

Senior Supporter Package (Adults)
12 months membership costs only €50.00 for Senior and entitles you to:

•Membership Certificate, Member scarf or beanie or cap, Individual Membership Card, Club Pin Badge, Key ring and Club Sticker. (Pack contents will vary)
•Access to Members Only Area on http://www.irishrugby.ie/ that offers Monthly Competitions, Irish Team News and other exclusive content.
•E-Zine Newsletter Monthly
•Exclusive member Competitions giving you the chance to win International Tickets, Trips to Away Games and Team Kit
•Opportunities to Meet Members of the Ireland Team at Official Supporters Club Events
•Opportunities to win or purchase tickets

Riskymove

JustinDee wrote: »

As I said earlier for the umpteenth time, the club was not set up as an outlet for tickets. It is a supporters club where members can avail of special offers or attend special events staged around the international season.

You are right Justin, the umpteenth time, and for the umpteenth time people will dismiss that; its not really a credible argument

The chance to get tickets is undoubtedly the key reason for people joining the club, to pretend otherwise just does not wash. Yes they are not guaranteed, yes other things go on that are great to be a part of, but the tickets are key.

do you honestly believe that you would have the same membership numbers
if you took away any ticket opportunity?

Shelflife

Ok Justin the system didnt crash, it just didnt work properly which for most people amounts to the same thing, if you have tickets in your basket and you proceed to the next step and the system wont let you proceed then thats what i would call a crash.

no Justin its not supply and demand, the club sold tickets to the members for the AI and again for the warm up games because they knew that they wouldnt sell out, however they didnt offer the french or the english games in the same way to the club because they knew they would sell out, so you can see that its the IRFU that also paly the "just Samoa Italy " game.

and as risky move has pointed out , you cannt seriously believe that most of the members paid €50 for a beanie hat and a membership cert?

Piliger

phog wrote: »

I agree with this too, I have no issue with clubs getting tickets. However, as is fairly clear from my posts on this thread I have a huge issue how the Supporters Club offer tickets for purchasing to their members when they have some available.

Well I don't agree.

The Irish people paid more than €190 million towards the construction of this stadium and it is completely unacceptable that so few tickets are available to the taxpayer who is not a member of a club.

JustinDee

Shelflife wrote: »

Ok Justin the system didnt crash, it just didnt work properly which for most people amounts to the same thing, if you have tickets in your basket and you proceed to the next step and the system wont let you proceed then thats what i would call a crash.

no Justin its not supply and demand, the club sold tickets to the members for the AI and again for the warm up games because they knew that they wouldnt sell out, however they didnt offer the french or the english games in the same way to the club because they knew they would sell out, so you can see that its the IRFU that also paly the "just Samoa Italy " game

It is supply and demand. Demand for the games I pointed out is higher, and still an allocation was available for both England and France. Smaller than someone like Argentina because demand for a game such as that is lower.

Shelflife wrote: »

and as risky move has pointed out , you cannt seriously believe that most of the members paid €50 for a beanie hat and a membership cert?

There have been events run every international series bar one, not just at games. An event was planned for the recent 6N but had to be pulled before announcement could even be made. Charter flights to away games every year since 2007.