semi final public ticket sale Tuesday 9am

justsomebloke

Quick note that the public allocation of tickets for the HEC semi finals go on sale at 9am Tuesday morning.

Note these are not part of the allocations that will be given to the clubs.

awec

12noon on Tuesday according to ulsterrugby.com?

I asked on the other thread but didn't get an answer, anyone know how many of the 52,000 tickets are likely to go on general sale? By that, I mean how many are given to clubs, sponsors etc etc?

durkadurka

awec wrote: »

12noon on Tuesday according to ulsterrugby.com?

I asked on the other thread but didn't get an answer, anyone know how many of the 52,000 tickets are likely to go on general sale? By that, I mean how many are given to clubs, sponsors etc etc?

You'll have no bother getting a ticket. Embra will only take up a few thousand at the most.
Leinster only just fill lansdowne so ulster will hardly swamp the place given the two hour drive .

awec

Also reckon there won't be too many Edinburgh fans.

justsomebloke

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/tickets/index.php

ERC site says 9am

awec

17.45 kick off. I like that time.

Plenty of time for a few pre-match beverages.

CatFromHue

Ulster filled Lansdowne in 1999 so I can't see why they won't do a similar job for the Semi. Can't see it selling out on Tuesday but I'd expect a pretty full stadium for the game.

durkadurka

Ulsterrugby just tweeted that they have 20k tickets ring fenced.
So I expect the st holders will gobble them up.

But then embra will send back 15 k I reckon and anyone who is pretty alert should be able to bag one.

mikedragon32

Flights to Bordeaux are working out at crazy money if you're thinking of flying out of Dublin directly to any airport in western France.

I've taken a look at mixing routes and airlines and have come up with a (messy) routing for under €200. Can't guarantee prices will stay the same but for anyone quick enough this is what I came up with:

29th April: Dub to Bristol on Aer Lingus: €36 (+ booking)
then: Bristol to Bordeaux on Easyjet
30th April: Bordeaux to Luton on Easyjet: stg£81.11 (booking both flights together with a debit card)
then Luton to Dublin on Ryanair stg£42.99 (+ booking)

The outward flights get you into Bordeaux 2 hours before kick off and it's 20 mins by taxi from the airport to Stade Chaban Delmas.

Works out at €185.11 and if you add the charges for booking on EI and FR if you can't avoid them, it's still just under €200.

Leinster have official trips with JWT up here: http://www.joewalshtours.ie/leinster/ Cheapest package is day trip for €299 + €75 tax. Overnight with hotel is an extra €100, but worth noting the overnight is the night before, so it's off to the airport after the match.

I don't know yet if I can make it, but hopefully someone will get use out of the details above!

awec

Can anyone tell me what the lower tier seats in the aviva are like? Behind the goal specifically.

At the south end of the stadium (not the small stand). Good view with decent elevation or should I go top tier instead?

mikedragon32

I sat in the east upper tier on Saturday for the first time (usually sit in the lower east) and I must say the view from up there is so much better. You can see plays develop have a great view over the entire pitch.

The lower tier is good too. When play is in the area in front of you you're really close to the action, but if play is at the other end, you end up looking at the big screens because you can't see much at all.

justsomebloke

awec wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what the lower tier seats in the aviva are like? Behind the goal specifically.

At the south end of the stadium (not the small stand). Good view with decent elevation or should I go top tier instead?

they are grand, once you know you will be behind a goal, was in the same seats on Saturday. I would go for the North (small stand) as it is pretty much the same view for €15 less (I just got 4 tickets for the corner of the North stand)

awec

I'm thinking behind goal lower tier. Maybe upper tier behind goal is better?

justsomebloke

awec wrote: »

I'm thinking behind goal lower tier. Maybe upper tier behind goal is better?

if going behind the goal upper tier is probably a better bet espeically if you can get seats near the front of it

durkadurka

Front of the upper tier is best value in my opinion.

Lower tier has a very low gradient. I dont like it one bit.

totallegend

awec wrote: »

I'm thinking behind goal lower tier. Maybe upper tier behind goal is better?

Upper tier all the way, or if you're going lower tier, I'd avoid anything in rows A-M, they are quite low down so you'll struggle to see what's going on at the far end of the pitch.

awec

Bought 2 tickets for upper tier, front of section directly behind the posts.

I was in the lower tier north stand for a football game before and as durkadurka says it is not very steep. This was my fear.

Anyway, woohoo!

I am pie

I've gone for the lower tier, as far back as I could get. Took those seats for a friendly (vs Argentina in the freezin' cold !) before, they were grand for the price.

Hopefully Embra surprise us with numbers, would be a shame to see too many empty seats. It's a pricey day out for anyone coming down, but i'd love to see as many as possible get down for it.

SUFTUM!

awec

Judging by the seating chart on ticketmaster both the east and west stands look pretty much sold out and (though I bet a fair numbre of these are just currently ringfenced rather than sold) and it'sthe north and south on general sale.

the_doctor199

Got tickets on the lower west stand, not really what I was looking for but at least I'll be there. Anyone any experience with around Block 127? Looks like we'll be sitting on the 22, Row R.

justsomebloke

I am pie wrote: »

It's a pricey day out for anyone coming down, but i'd love to see as many as possible get down for it.

it's not really. There are tickets from €23ish including booking fee and probably €20 odd for a return bus ticket so it isn't that expensive

justsomebloke

awec wrote: »

Judging by the seating chart on ticketmaster both the east and west stands look pretty much sold out

I'd say they are part of the Ulster and Edinburgh ticket allocation rather then being sold out

totallegend

the_doctor199 wrote: »

Got tickets on the lower west stand, not really what I was looking for but at least I'll be there. Anyone any experience with around Block 127? Looks like we'll be sitting on the 22, Row R.

Yeah, they'll be grand seats, you should be fine there.

.ak

awec wrote: »

I'm thinking behind goal lower tier. Maybe upper tier behind goal is better?

This. These are my fav 'cheap' seats in Aviva. If you sit in the upper tier, near the front of the tier itself you have a fantastic view without being too high up.

.ak

Also for anyone buying Public Allocated tickets for the ASM v LR match, the majority of the Leinster tickets are in the €50 allocation... But we don't know which block it is yet exactly. Trying to find that out now...

awec

the_doctor199 wrote: »

Got tickets on the lower west stand, not really what I was looking for but at least I'll be there. Anyone any experience with around Block 127? Looks like we'll be sitting on the 22, Row R.

I'm in block 515. Near the front. Can't wait!

Big Nelly

Bought 2 in 133, wanted to get into 134 because that is where my Leinster season ticket seat was last year and it was good view. 133 right on edge of 134 is great.....

Also load of mates coming down from Belfast, they all booked into 115 so I couldn't get further away from them.....:p

More or less same view and 133 is only 20 quid and 115 is 35. Was in 113 this season for Leinster season ticket and view is not much better than last year, only thing is the bar is better but I can survive without that......

Also hopefully mate is working, so happy days and will be up in corporate box anyway!!!!!! :P

justsomebloke

Big Nelly wrote: »

only thing is the bar is better but I can survive without that......

I hate the bar behind 115 with a passion, I have never seen such a badly run bar at an Irish event as that one.

awec

So long as the bar up in 516 is well run and well stocked I will be happy.

.ak

awec wrote: »

So long as the bar up in 516 is well run and well stocked I will be happy.

There's two to choose from IIRC... But yeah, depends on the staff on the day.

Have to say the bars in the 'public' areas are far better than the premium level bars... Mostly because there's a que system in operation, so it just throwing pints out as quick as possible.

Most of the staff in the aviva are young, probably have little to no bar experience, so they don't get the idea of cutting through as many pints in as shortest time possible strategy.

Can't be as bad as Cardiff though... I'd say the Stadium, and the surrounding bars lost about 60% of their possible income because of slow barstaff...

Big Nelly

justsomebloke wrote: »

I hate the bar behind 115 with a passion, I have never seen such a badly run bar at an Irish event as that one.

I was talking about the one in corner at 112/113. That is where I was for all Leinster match's and found it good. Plenty of room to stand around before and after match and have a pint in peace before trying to get up town......

over at 133-137 the bar is terrible, as soon as you get a pint, you are told to move, then told to move and then move again. You are better off just heading back to your seat, no area to stand at all......not a major concern if a nice day

Big Nelly

.ak wrote: »

Can't be as bad as Cardiff though... I'd say the Stadium, and the surrounding bars lost about 60% of their possible income because of slow barstaff...

It was unreal in Cardiff...at one stage there was 3 of them standing around and using the one tap and the other 2 where sitting there. I was hopping up and down trying to get a beer and back in on time for match....never again

awec

I would have thought that running these bars is a pretty simple operation. Everyone wants beer. So you have 1 or 2 people on the tills, and just get the rest of the staff to constantly chug out pints. There is no reason it can't go pretty quickly.

Big Nelly

awec wrote: »

I would have thought that running these bars is a pretty simple operation. Everyone wants beer. So you have 1 or 2 people on the tills, and just get the rest of the staff to constantly chug out pints. There is no reason it can't go pretty quickly.

Ahh you see your first problem is that you thought....every time I have been the Aviva they have been very poor at getting the pints out the door. As mentioned before they seem to have a lot of 18-20 year old people in the bars trying to poor pints. There is more beer on the floor/counter/sink/themselves than in the glass itself.

As I said the only bar I found decent was at corner of 112/113 which was decent but they had a lot of staff running it.

Been to bar in corporate level and it ain't much better, just a pure melee and no idea who they are serving, so a random punter walks up and get a pint and another lad is left standing for 10 mins

.ak

Argh, just realized I'll be flying over France when the Ulster game is on!

Chances of Eazyjet having WiFi onboard...?

justsomebloke

Big Nelly wrote: »

Ahh you see your first problem is that you thought....

I thought the exact same thing when I first read it:D

Big Nelly wrote: »

every time I have been the Aviva they have been very poor at getting the pints out the door. As mentioned before they seem to have a lot of 18-20 year old people in the bars trying to poor pints. There is more beer on the floor/counter/sink/themselves than in the glass itself.

Ye this is the problem in a nut shell, they have gone for the cheap option of hiring lots of cheap inexperienced staff, rather then paying the premium for good staff who can know how to relieve some of the bottle necks before they happen.

overshoot

heres the view from near the front of row517 if you want a good idea of it. 34e including the booking charge... although i spent the extra 5e and went for 516... should have saved it now i look back at it!

awec

That's pretty much my exact view! Woohoo! Awesome!

durkadurka

Have to agree on the bars in Aviva. Never in my life have I seen such incompetence in a non government organisation.

.ak

durkadurka wrote: »

Have to agree on the bars in Aviva. Never in my life have I seen such incompetence in a non government organisation.

I've had 50/50 experience to be honest. Never as bad as Cardiff tho.

mikedragon32

.ak wrote: »

Argh, just realized I'll be flying over France when the Ulster game is on!

Chances of Eazyjet having WiFi onboard...?

That's why I was looking at travelling on 29th!

danthefan

.ak wrote: »

Argh, just realized I'll be flying over France when the Ulster game is on!

Chances of Eazyjet having WiFi onboard...?

Bizarrely I was on an internal flight in the US that live TV on board, including Setanta sports, who were showing an Ireland 'A' game at the time. So I got to watch it on the flight. Was awesome.

bilston

Hopefully we'll see close to 40,000 there. Maybe 25,000 Ulster fans, plus 3,000 from Edinburgh and say 10,000 neutrals from in and around Dublin who can't make it to France.

What was the attendence on Saturday for Leinster v Cardiff? There weren't many but I did notice a few empty seats on the TV.

Hopefully Translink will put on a few Rugby special trains from Belfast. They should be great craic as I reckon quite a few Edinburgh fans will take the option of taking the boat to Belfast and train down.

Podge_irl

bilston wrote: »

What was the attendence on Saturday for Leinster v Cardiff? There weren't many but I did notice a few empty seats on the TV.

It was a few hundred over 50,000, so about 1,000 empty seats.

the_doctor199

Just seen on Heineken Cup Facebook that 20,000 tickets have been sold already, hopefully it'll fill up nicely.

Stop the press 20,000 tickets already sold for the Heineken Cup semi-final at the Aviva Stadium between Ulster Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby on Saturday, 28 April.

awec

bilston wrote: »

Hopefully we'll see close to 40,000 there. Maybe 25,000 Ulster fans, plus 3,000 from Edinburgh and say 10,000 neutrals from in and around Dublin who can't make it to France.

What was the attendence on Saturday for Leinster v Cardiff? There weren't many but I did notice a few empty seats on the TV.

Hopefully Translink will put on a few Rugby special trains from Belfast. They should be great craic as I reckon quite a few Edinburgh fans will take the option of taking the boat to Belfast and train down.

I'd say there'll be more than 25k Ulster fans there.

bilston

awec wrote: »

I'd say there'll be more than 25k Ulster fans there.

Yeah I think I underestimated us. UR reckon there'll be 35,000 Ulster fans, so add on the Edinburgh fans plus extras from Dublin and it looks like it might be a sellout or at least very close to it.

CIARAN_BOYLE

I saw earlier that Ulsters allocation is 20K which is being sold to season ticket holders, Edinburgh despite being entitled to the same 20K allocation took up 5K to sell to their season ticket holders. The rest is going on sale publically or to commercial bodies.

spank_inferno

So... the Leinster tickets are on public sale tomorrow.

What section/block are the Leinster fans congregating in??

The wife & I are mulling over making the trip, as an away day a few nights in the south of france is appealing!

mikedragon32

Ryanair have put on a day return to Bordeaux, €279 incl all taxes and charges (except the credit card fee - €18)

Still seats available when I checked.

Big Nelly

Do Leinster have to send back tickets after this week if not sold?