Out of pocket Leinster clubs to be compensated

THE Leinster branch of the IRFU has told clubs that they will be recompensed for any losses incurred as a result of the ticketing fiasco surrounding the Autumn Guinness Series.

The move comes in advance of the IRFU’s own announcement regarding a solution to the problem created by thousands of unsold tickets from the four-Test international series last month.

The IRFU’s policy, for which it has promised to review ahead of the 2011 Six Nations, saw the tickets sold in two-match bundles for South Africa-Samoa and New Zealand-Argentina with only one price of ticket available, €165 for the former package, €195 for the latter pair of Tests. It was a situation that led to protests from clubs across the country which struggled to sell them.

In Ulster, the branch has already begun to compensate its clubs for losses incurred for the opening two internationals and will shortly begin compensating for the latter two. Connacht operates its allocations to clubs on a different basis and has no need to compensate.

Munster chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald said his branch was in a similar boat, with clubs paying only for tickets sold by direct debit and returning unsold tickets on the Friday before each international, meaning there was no money to refund.

In Leinster, though, clubs will be given the choice of accepting a refund or credit towards tickets for the Six Nations. The branch executive reached their decision even though the IRFU still awaits the report of the Hussey Committee established to investigate the debacle surrounding the pricing and ticketing strategy.

Leinster chief executive, Mick Dawson, revealed the decision in a letter e-mailed to clubs on Tuesday night, in a move believed to calm grassroots rugby folk also demoralised by Tuesday’s Budget.

In the letter, Dawson welcomed the Union’s decision to adjust its pricing structure for the home games against France and England describing them as “a tangible acknowledgement of the mistakes made in the pricing of the Autumn Series”.

It is the decision to reimburse clubs, some of whom might have faced financial ruin had they been forced to carry the can for losses incurred due to the reduced interest in attending Irish rugby internationals, that is the most significant aspect of the missive though.

“While the Union has not made any decision yet regarding unsold tickets and will await the report of the Hussey Committee before reaching conclusions” Dawson wrote, “the Leinster branch management committee has decided that our clubs cannot carry the losses sustained. In this regard it has been decided to refund clubs for unsold tickets or alternatively to give clubs credit against Six Nations tickets.”

Dawson revealed that the branch executive decided at its last meeting not to pay for tickets sold until a solution agreeable to all parties could be found.

“Without knowing the details of losses due to unsold tickets, tickets sold below price etc., it is impossible to know how much is due to the Union for some weeks to come.

He concluded: “Over the coming two to three months, the Hussey Committee will continue its deliberations. Our clubs, in co-operation with the branch will sell our Six Nations tickets. We look forward to transferring those monies over to the Union following the production of ‘a fair and equitable solution.’”