IRFU Supporters Club tickets ballot - were you lucky or not?

Duffryman · 10-12-2018 3:14pm #1

Okay, this will be a very unscientific poll, but just to hopefully get some idea of what proportion of IRFU Supporters Club members were successful in the ballot for Six Nations tickets....

Please note the poll refers to IRFU Supporters Club members only, and NOT Munster Supporters Club, Leinster Supporters Club, or anything else.

Thanks for voting!

PTH2009 · 10-12-2018 3:40pm

Nope not successful

Prob going to be this system for all major games in the future (France , England, Wales, Scotland at home and in the AI New Zealand, Austrailia and South Africa). Sales for Italy, Arg and tier 2 nations

irishgeo · 10-12-2018 3:43pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

Nope not successful

Prob going to be this system for all major games in the future (France , England, Wales, Scotland at home and in the AI New Zealand, Austrailia and South Africa). Sales for Italy, Arg and tier 2 nations

All the while cleaning up at 50 euro a membership.

Tomtom364 · 10-12-2018 3:48pm

Duffryman wrote: »

Okay, this will be a very unscientific poll, but just to hopefully get some idea of what proportion of Supporters Club members were successful in the ballot for Six Nations tickets....

Just a small point, should probably clearly state this is for the IRFU supports club as some people might think it's all supporter clubs (ie IRFU, MRSC etc)

Duffryman · 10-12-2018 3:56pm

Done. Thanks.

10-12-2018 4:15pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

Nope not successful

Prob going to be this system for all major games in the future (France , England, Wales, Scotland at home and in the AI New Zealand, Austrailia and South Africa). Sales for Italy, Arg and tier 2 nations

wtf...

I was considering joining as I don't even try to Ireland tickets. I thought paying 50 quid would give you a 100% window of opportunity. What a scam. No wonder the atmosphere in the aviva is ****e.

Dazzy · 10-12-2018 4:48pm

I answered yes to the poll before it was updated so my response is incorrect. I got my tickets through the Leinster season ticket holders Lottery.

Clegg · 10-12-2018 4:54pm

Deleted User wrote: »

PTH2009 wrote: »

Nope not successful

Prob going to be this system for all major games in the future (France , England, Wales, Scotland at home and in the AI New Zealand, Austrailia and South Africa). Sales for Italy, Arg and tier 2 nations

wtf...

I was considering joining as I don't even try to Ireland tickets. I thought paying 50 quid would give you a 100% window of opportunity. What a scam. No wonder the atmosphere in the aviva is ****e.

I don't think it's a scam. I've been a member for the last 3 or 4 years and got tickets for games I'd never get otherwise. The international and provincial game has never been stronger so demand has never been higher. In years when there's only 2 home Six Nations games tickets will be hard to come by. Most go to corporate gigs and then the clubs. The Supporters Club gets whatever is left.

Walter Sobchak III · 10-12-2018 4:57pm

Member of supporters club going on ten years. No luck this time. First time to miss out.

The Lost Sheep · 10-12-2018 5:01pm

Deleted User wrote: »

wtf...

I was considering joining as I don't even try to Ireland tickets. I thought paying 50 quid would give you a 100% window of opportunity. What a scam. No wonder the atmosphere in the aviva is ****e.

This has nothing to do with atmosphere in Aviva and isnt a scam.

Clegg wrote: »

I don't think it's a scam. I've been a member for the last 3 or 4 years and got tickets for games I'd never get otherwise. The international and provincial game has never been stronger so demand has never been higher. In years when there's only 2 home Six Nations games tickets will be hard to come by. Most go to corporate gigs and then the clubs. The Supporters Club gets whatever is left.

Wouldnt say most go to corporate gigs.

thegreycity · 10-12-2018 5:26pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

This has nothing to do with atmosphere in Aviva and isnt a scam.

More a case of caveat emptor due to an intentionally vague process. Looking at the poll numbers I won't be renewing.

Frank Castle · 10-12-2018 5:27pm

Not successful either and very disappointed, been a member of the IRFU supporters club for years and rarely missed a home 6 nations match in the last 12 years.

Great to see the support rising, but it is a tad frustrating :P

Riskymove · 10-12-2018 5:52pm

Not successful x2 members

First game missed since first games in Croke Park

eclipsechaser · 10-12-2018 6:57pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

This has nothing to do with atmosphere in Aviva and isnt a scam.

When you change a long-standing process without informing anyone in advance but still taking their money in advance, it's - at best - very, very poor practice.

pc7 · 10-12-2018 7:32pm

eclipsechaser wrote: »

When you change a long-standing process without informing anyone in advance but still taking their money in advance, it's - at best - very, very poor practice.

This is it exactly. The old system was log on and 10am and cross your fingers, if you missed out at least you felt you’d a chance. To suddenly change it with a few days notice to something that could work on a episode of Father Ted (they couldn’t even get the correspondence right), stinks.

Slasher · 10-12-2018 9:46pm

Frank Castle wrote: »

Not successful either and very disappointed, been a member of the IRFU supporters club for years and rarely missed a home 6 nations match in the last 12 years.

Great to see the support rising, but it is a tad frustrating :P

me, too. I'm very disappointed. Have just sent an email to Philip Browne to that effect. I encourage everyone else to do the same. What else can we do?

I fail to understand what has changed. There are still the same number of seats in the stadium. One can only surmise some tickets have been diverted in another direction.

big dan · 10-12-2018 10:24pm

First time not getting tickets with the IRFU supporters club since joining over 10 years ago.

d.pop · 10-12-2018 10:28pm

No joy here.

KBurke85 · 10-12-2018 10:37pm

Slasher wrote: »

me, too. I'm very disappointed. Have just sent an email to Philip Browne to that effect. I encourage everyone else to do the same. What else can we do?

I fail to understand what has changed. There are still the same number of seats in the stadium. One can only surmise some tickets have been diverted in another direction.

Lads I think a lot of ye aren’t getting the whole supply and demand thing. I for one know of a lot more people that have joined the club in the past year or two especially with the team doing well. More members same amount of tickets is obviously going to increase demand and make it harder to get tickets. I wouldn’t say it’s a case of tickets being diverted in another direction

Kevski · 10-12-2018 11:06pm

KBurke85 wrote: »

Lads I think a lot of ye aren’t getting the whole supply and demand thing. I for one know of a lot more people that have joined the club in the past year or two especially with the team doing well. More members same amount of tickets is obviously going to increase demand and make it harder to get tickets. I wouldn’t say it’s a case of tickets being diverted in another direction

The reason people are annoyed is because of how the whole thing has been handled. Everyone signed up based on how the tickets have been made available up to 2018 6 Nations - i.e. everyone with a membership got a code that gives them access to the sale. Now for the 2019 6 Nations, without any prior notice or indication that there was to be a change, they’ve changed it so that only some people get a code to get access to the sale. They can wrap it up however they like but going from all members having access to only some members having access isn’t the fairest way of doing things.

The Rape of Lucretia · 11-12-2018 12:03am

It has been handled very well. Pre ballot, it was most inconvenient and a mayhem scramble for tickets. I surely remember comments here saying just that, and asking why could there not be a ballot. It still means the same % of people get tickets. Definitely a better system this time round.

Duffryman · 11-12-2018 12:19am

Right, as the one who put up the poll here, I think it's safe to say that the results speak for themselves.

Five say they got tickets, 52 didn't, and one of those five says he shouldn't be counted at all, since his tickets actually came through the Leinster ballot instead. So, the real result is four lucky, 52 unlucky - or 13 people who missed out for every one who got lucky.

Again, this is a very unscientific poll, but I certainly don't like those odds for any future ballot.

Personally, I've been paying into the Supporters Club for the last five years, and never missed out before - I was always able to get tickets for a 6N game or an Autumns International game, so long as I was online and ready to pounce at 10 a.m. on the day of the sales. Was even given two tickets for the recent All Blacks match (even if they were Category 4, right up in the high heavens - but I didn't mind, because at least we were there).

I understand all the supply and demand arguments, how clubs need to be looked after, and even (up to a point) the corporate thing - but I'm still not impressed with how the routine was suddenly changed this time round, and how they're point blank refusing to reveal how many names were in the hat for how many tickets.

Have to ask myself now if a keyring, a car air freshener, and an occasional email newsletter is really worth it if I decide to keep paying €50 per year. Think I know what the answer will be......

Eod100 · 11-12-2018 12:50am

I think there's a couple of issues at play. I don't know if there are fewer tickets available this year but I think people not giving the chance to get tickets creates the perception that there are fewer tickets this year. And if there's fewer then you'd have to wonder where these tickets are being allocated instead.

The other is the way the ballot was conducted. I'm not sure why even with a random draw, people weren't obliged to opt in and then opt in for specific matches.

Then I suppose, questions arise about fairness of random draw. Is it better to give everyone a minuscule chance say or give preference to those in the club for the longest.

Then finally, the issue of transparency. I don't think it's clear how many members there are and how many tickets are available. I don't think this will be ever revealed but if people feel there's a very slim chance of getting tickets then there's no real incentive to be a member. I know that being a member of the club didn't guarantee tickets but all issues above aren't ideal.

clevtrev · 11-12-2018 10:03am

Eod100 wrote: »

I think there's a couple of issues at play. I don't know if there are fewer tickets available this year but I think people not giving the chance to get tickets creates the perception that there are fewer tickets this year. And if there's fewer then you'd have to wonder where these tickets are being allocated instead.

The other is the way the ballot was conducted. I'm not sure why even with a random draw, people weren't obliged to opt in and then opt in for specific matches.

Then I suppose, questions arise about fairness of random draw. Is it better to give everyone a minuscule chance say or give preference to those in the club for the longest.

Then finally, the issue of transparency. I don't think it's clear how many members there are and how many tickets are available. I don't think this will be ever revealed but if people feel there's a very slim chance of getting tickets then there's no real incentive to be a member. I know that being a member of the club didn't guarantee tickets but all issues above aren't ideal.

at the end of the day the supporters club is a bit of a scroungers club (myself included!) that only exists to get access to tickets. Up to this year it was a very handy way of getting access to face value tickets that were selling for many multiples on the open market. In the current climate for rugby Im surprised that the IRFU are bothered keeping it running especially for 50 quid a head.

I think asking for the IRFU to disclose membership and ticket allocation numbers is completely unrealistic and also unreasonable. You buy your membership and you take your chances however slim they may be

I got tickets this time and will probably renew especially since most of the rest of you arent renewing next year:D

pc7 · 11-12-2018 10:06am

Just on tickets, please please please please don’t buy from touts. Watch at home or in the pub, don’t encourage them. I hope the irfu take a stand against likes of viaggio, be interesting to see if touts amoung supporters club!

Eod100 · 11-12-2018 10:12am

pc7 wrote: »

Just on tickets, please please please please don’t buy from touts. Watch at home or in the pub, don’t encourage them. I hope the irfu take a stand against likes of viaggio, be interesting to see if touts amoung supporters club!

I never do out of principle but think the standard price is expensive already, tout price must be ridiculous.

Eod100 · 11-12-2018 10:19am

clevtrev wrote: »

at the end of the day the supporters club is a bit of a scroungers club (myself included!) that only exists to get access to tickets. Up to this year it was a very handy way of getting access to face value tickets that were selling for many multiples on the open market. In the current climate for rugby Im surprised that the IRFU are bothered keeping it running especially for 50 quid a head.

I think asking for the IRFU to disclose membership and ticket allocation numbers is completely unrealistic and also unreasonable. You buy your membership and you take your chances however slim they may be

I got tickets this time and will probably renew especially since most of the rest of you arent renewing next year:D

Yup it's its main point alright but there was never a guarantee of tickets either. But huge difference from having good chance to now.

I don't expect them to reveal membership numbers, my point was more about the perception that there has been both an increase in numbers an fewer tickets available this year than others.

Fair play for getting tickets, from what I've seen here and elsewhere you're definitely in a minority!

Frank Castle · 11-12-2018 10:19am

Eod100 wrote: »

I never do out of principle but think the standard price is expensive already, tout price must be ridiculous.

Just jumped on viagogo there to look. €900+
I don't expect anyone to actually pay that much (I'd imagine 200ish is more realistic for those sites?) but regardless these sites need to be shut down. Its a disgrace.

Duffryman · 11-12-2018 11:44am

clevtrev wrote: »

I got tickets this time and will probably renew especially since most of the rest of you arent renewing next year:D

Yup, have to say it's occurred to me that next year might actually be the perfect time to renew....because if membership drops off by 90%, then those left in it are almost guaranteed tickets!

MisterAnarchy · 11-12-2018 11:51am

I got 2 tickets for the France match ,the wife was lucky with her membership,god bless her.

I managed to get 2 in Block 103 which are good seats .

I had a good few windows opened checking what was on offer whilst I left the 103 seats in the basket.

There seemed to be seats in all price categories except Premium available .
This included restricted view tickets for 32.50 and 42.50.
Most seats I was offered were in Blocks 503,505 and 506 .
Varying from Row D to Row T.

When I searched on the 32.50 and 42.50 restricted view seats they were also available.

I was offered two in Block 107 as well .

So there seemed to be a good variety of tickets .
I wouldn't be surprised if the supporters club allocation doesn't even sell out ,they've obviously sent out hardly any codes to the members.

Eod100 · 11-12-2018 11:55am

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

So there seemed to be a good variety of tickets .
I wouldn't be surprised if the supporters club allocation doesn't even sell out ,they've obviously sent out hardly any codes to the members.

I think people have 24 hours to buy too though.

Eod100 · 11-12-2018 12:27pm

Frank Castle wrote: »

Just jumped on viagogo there to look. €900+
I don't expect anyone to actually pay that much (I'd imagine 200ish is more realistic for those sites?) but regardless these sites need to be shut down. Its a disgrace.

Saw this on twitter. For that price you could get cheap flights to Italy and buy this package of flights, tickets and accommodation from there sure..

On side note, not sure why I assumed it would be Irish travel agents having access to these tickets. Didn't think there would be huge interest from Italy in this match.

https://twitter.com/SportToursIt/status/1072432736357494784

smokybacon · 11-12-2018 10:47pm

In summary some points/thoughts:
Just voted no - ie not successful.
First time ever didn't get ticket. Once ended up with 1 but that year was still worth it as got to decent autumn matches.
Reason for lottery probably because France and England here so high demand from outside the club. Wouldn't say many tickets were left for us. Understand why people disappointed. On Twitter supporters are livid.
Not really interested in Italy or Wales friendly matches unless cheap. [Was funny to see ticket offer for Italy match in USA. Like i could take a few days off just like that and get flight for a grand!] Saw Wales home and away good few times.
Very disappointed at least before was first past the post but to continue this system might allow us to guess ticket numbers available. Just cynical.
Like getting a dumped by a bird or not picked for the team!
Rant over. Pity soccer team are rubbish!

wacotaco · 20-01-2019 11:08pm

Any chance they might do another sale ? One member said there were a good few tickets still there but no one had a code.

smokybacon · 20-01-2019 11:17pm

Got 2 for France game and 2 for England game at 1040 on Thursday on Ticketmaster.ie the same day and time the release of the Scotland irl game which I didn’t get!

PTH2009 · 21-01-2019 4:32pm

smokybacon wrote: »

Got 2 for France game and 2 for England game at 1040 on Thursday on Ticketmaster.ie the same day and time the release of the Scotland irl game which I didn’t get!

fair play

really shady system that limited tickets can go on public sale while the Supporters club are silent about potential tickets going on sale

PMC83 · 21-01-2019 5:23pm

smokybacon wrote: »

Got 2 for France game and 2 for England game at 1040 on Thursday on Ticketmaster.ie the same day and time the release of the Scotland irl game which I didn’t get!

Fairplay- so just remembered a silent release from last year?

PMC83 · 22-01-2019 10:46am

For those still looking, I was on ticket master this morning and there were a few singles for the England game -150 a pop. They were gone pretty quickly so I think a few (like myself) are keeping a close on on ticket master

pc7 · 22-01-2019 11:29am

Have to say, after being in the supporters club so many years and not evening getting the chance to ballot this year. I picked up two tickets this morning on ticketmaster (Ire v Eng). I'm delighted but it adds the question, why bother with the club now? Just roll the dice with ticketmaster. For those looking, keep trying!

shaundolier · 22-01-2019 11:49am

pc7 wrote: »

Have to say, after being in the supporters club so many years and not evening getting the chance to ballot this year. I picked up two tickets this morning on ticketmaster (Ire v Eng). I'm delighted but it adds the question, why bother with the club now? Just roll the dice with ticketmaster. For those looking, keep trying!

I totally agree with you. Looking back over the last 12 months I have gotten tickets for Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, USA supporters club event,England and if I wanted, France , on the general ticketmaster site. I had failed on all of these occasions to get any of these on the supporters club presale.My membership expired on 1 Jan and it is going to stay that way. The 50 euro is going to stay within the safe confines of my wallet.

Redo91 · 22-01-2019 3:25pm

When I’m searching for tickets for the England match I only seem to be able to look for 2 tickets. Any idea why I can’t look for single tickets?

wacotaco · 22-01-2019 3:43pm

pc7 wrote: »

Have to say, after being in the supporters club so many years and not evening getting the chance to ballot this year. I picked up two tickets this morning on ticketmaster (Ire v Eng). I'm delighted but it adds the question, why bother with the club now? Just roll the dice with ticketmaster. For those looking, keep trying!

What time did you get them at?

pc7 · 22-01-2019 4:05pm

Around 9.20/9.30am today. I'd been keeping an eye the last few days as some people got them on ticketmaster last Thursday.

trevezel · 23-01-2019 12:08am

luck man !
how long have you been checking before getting tickets ?

pc7 · 23-01-2019 10:18am

trevezel wrote: »

luck man !
how long have you been checking before getting tickets ?

Since I read on here there were some floating back. Was checking on my phone the weekend when I'd think about it. Then the same Monday/Tuesday, just refreshing when I'd remember.

Eod100 · 23-01-2019 1:40pm

shaundolier wrote: »

I totally agree with you. Looking back over the last 12 months I have gotten tickets for Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, USA supporters club event,England and if I wanted, France , on the general ticketmaster site. I had failed on all of these occasions to get any of these on the supporters club presale.My membership expired on 1 Jan and it is going to stay that way. The 50 euro is going to stay within the safe confines of my wallet.

Guess flipside is time searching and no guarantee of tickets either though. Guess the year we only have 2 home games (especially in a RWC year) was gonna see high demand for tickets. Ironically enough might be easier to get tickets next year if a lot of people don't renew or are put off signing up in first place

PTH2009 · 23-01-2019 4:21pm

they need to bring in a few more benefits for the supporters club

maybe a new ID card where you can get discounts in some stores/restraunts/hotels etc

Joined the club 10 years ago and have only missed out on a handful of big games but saw some classic games too which included us beating the All Blacks. Ill prob stick with them when my membership expires but not expecting many tickets for major games

2020 6Ns will be Italy/Wales and Scotland at home with possibly the Aussies and South Africa in the Autumn. It will all depend on what way the world cup goes.

IRFU Supporters Club tickets ballot - were you lucky or not?

Were you offered tickets in the Supporters Club ballot for Six Nations tickets? 20 votes

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