Rugby clubs set for ticket shock

RUGBY clubs are in for a “nasty shock” if they believe they can hand back tickets to the IRFU for the Argentina test at the end of the month — and not be charged €90 per ticket.

Amid ongoing confusion over the coupling of tickets for the New Zealand and Argentina matches later this month, several senior clubs confirmed yesterday the belief that they won’t be charged €190 for the two-game package if they fail to sell tickets to the Argentina game.

But a senior IRFU source confirmed last night: “The tickets are sold to the clubs as packages and have to be accounted for as packages” — a clear message that clubs cannot expect to sell All Blacks tickets at €100 and hand back the €90 Puma tickets to Lansdowne Road. The confusion appears to surround assurances from the IRFU that they will not deduct the money for unsold tickets by direct debit from clubs the week after the Argentina game. Union sources believe this has been misinterpreted by some clubs to mean they will not be charged at all.