IRFU announce refund procedure

Ticket refundsThe IRFU has outlined the procedure for refunding patrons who were denied access to the Test match between Ireland and New Zealand at Lansdowne Road last Saturday as a result of a fire under the North Terrace of world rugby's oldest international stadium.

A small blaze erupted last Friday evening and while it was contained and extinguished within a couple of hours the IRFU were forced to tell 7,500 supporters not to attend the match because of safety concerns.

The New Zealand and Romania games - the latter takes place at the same venue on Saturday week - were sold as a linked package and the full value of the package for both games (€35) will be refunded to North Terrace ticket holders, who may retain and still use their Ireland versus Romania tickets.

In a statement the IRFU pointed out it "apologises again for the inconvenience caused to North Terrace ticket holders by the closure of the terrace due to safety reasons".

All refunds will be categorised under the following headings, the statement continued:

"Tickets issued by rugby clubs: International match tickets are issued by the IRFU to the provincial branches in Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht, who in turn distribute these tickets to the clubs. Each IRFU provincial branch will refund tickets directly to the clubs who will then issue the ticket refund to club members.

"Tickets issued through NZRFU: Tickets issued to members of the public through the New Zealand Rugby Football Union will be able to receive their refund directly from the NZRFU.

"Tickets bought on www.irishrugby.ie: Members of the public who bought tickets through the IRFU website, www.irishrugby.ie, will be refunded to the full value of the package and booking fee directly to North Terrace ticket holders' credit cards."

The North Terrace will be undergoing both fire and structural surveys today to confirm the availability of the North Terrace for the Ireland v Australia game in Lansdowne Road on Saturday.