Sir, – I am an IRFU 10-year ticket holder in the Aviva Stadium, and my 10-year tenure finishes next August.
I understand that the pricing of a 10-year ticket is front-loaded to take into account the expected inflation of ticket prices in the latter part of the 10-year term. However, over the past 10 years, this inflation failed to materialise, making the price per game over the past 10 years very bad value indeed compared to the face value of the tickets. However, that’s the luck of the draw.
Over the past six months, there had been intimations that a rethink about the policy regarding renewals was in train at the IRFU. One change that would have been very welcome was the possibility of offering a shorter-term ticket, say for five years, to loyal but ageing fans. I am in my mid-seventies, so it requires an act of faith to purchase a seat for 2025! This shorter term would also have removed the need to charge a premium price to allow for inflation in the latter five years of a 10-year contract.
However, my latest information is that this concession to the “elder generation” is not to be part of the IRFU’s plans when it finalises its pricing in the next few weeks. Perhaps if enough of my generation contacted the IRFU to request a rethink of this somewhat unfeeling policy, our “grey power” might persuade them to change their minds, in the same way we managed to influence our Government in the recent past! – Yours, etc,
TERRY PATTISON
Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.