Branches pursue different pricing policy

RUGBY:THE IRFU and two of their provincial branches, Ulster and Munster, continue to sell tickets for the international against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday at €95 despite their availability in Dublin and Galway for €45.

The Connacht branch has adopted the same half-price policy as Leinster in an attempt to shift leftover club and school allocations. Tickets can be purchased from the Connacht offices by cash or credit card.

Almost 700 tickets went on sale at the Leinster rugby store in Donnybrook this week and are selling at a steady rate. These are only available by cash payment.

“The IRFU’s position is that any tickets it holds will continue to be sold at the set price,” said an IRFU spokesman yesterday.

“Given the difficulty experienced with ticketing for matches in the Guinness Series, a number of clubs have decided that it is in their interests to reduce the price of tickets they are selling for the Argentinian match, as they are entitled to do, and have asked the Leinster branch to facilitate them by selling the club’s tickets through their outlet.”

The Munster and Ulster branches report no change in their ticket policy, while the IRFU tickets, via Ticketmaster.ie, are priced at €95 with an additional €4 handling fee.

Leinster rugby’s chief executive Mick Dawson confirmed they discussed the price reduction with the IRFU before putting returned tickets on sale.

“They didn’t tell us not to,” said Dawson. “The clubs paid for the tickets. We are just trying to reduce the overall liability. We are not underwriting anyone’s liability.”

The IRFU have already stated “that clubs will only be asked for immediate payment for tickets they have sold” in November. It remains unclear, however, whether the clubs will be asked to shoulder the entire financial burden for unsold tickets.

The union spokesman continued: “While the clubs and branches are responsible for the revenue from the sale of tickets under their control, the IRFU has already stated that on completion of the Guinness Series, it will work with the branches and clubs to assess the effects of the reduced demand for tickets.

“Until such time as that process is complete, the IRFU is not in a position to be definitive as to the final outcome.”

When the issue of punters sitting side by side, with one having paid double the price for the same ticket, was put to Dawson he responded: “Sometimes you go into a shop and buy a suit only to return a week later and realise it is half price in a sale. That is just the way of the world. We are just trying to put bums on seats. The national team needs as much support as they can get.”

Killester Travel’s hospitality package is €85 but this includes lunch at Bewleys Hotel in Ballsbridge before Sunday’s 2.30pm kick-off.

Leinster have already sold 33,000 tickets for their Heineken Cup match against Clermont Auvergne on December 18th. Children’s group deals were priced at €5 a ticket, while the €10 and €20 tickets sold out, with only €35 tickets remaining.