IRFU set prices to avoid spectacle of empty seats

The IRFU launched its ticket price strategy for the 2012-13 season in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the 2010 empty seat fiasco.

Announcing what it termed “a competitively priced” range of tickets, which starts with Nov Tests against South Africa and Argentina and includes Six Nations encounters at the Aviva Stadium against England and France, tickets range from a €15 schoolchild ticket through €65 for a category one seat up to €95 for a premium level ticket. For the visit of Argentina the corresponding pricing is €10, €55 and €75.

“In putting our ticket price structures in place for the 2012-13 season our aim has been to continue to offer as many options as possible to Irish rugby supporters, said Pat Fitzgerald, IRFU commercial and marketing committee chairman.

“We believe that the different category levels give all our supporters an opportunity to come to the Aviva Stadium and see Ireland play against some of the best teams in the world.”

With just two Tests — an Ireland XV will play Fiji at Thomond Park on Nov 17, for which ticket prices will be announced in due course – rather than the four scheduled in 2010 and a more flexible ticketing structure, the new prices received an initially favourable response from Shannon RFC vice-president and club secretary Tadhg Crowe when informed of them by the Irish Examiner.

“Those prices seem to be realistic enough. In fairness, €30 [category four price] to see South Africa playing doesn’t appear to be too bad and restricted view tickets are cheaper still.

“I think the lessons have been learned from that 2010 series, very much so, judging by the pricing structures here and for last season’s Six Nations. Certainly we were able to sell the tickets we were allocated down here.

“That series in the autumn of 2010 was a debacle, particularly for the Argentina match, the last of the four. It was impossible to sell for that and in fairness the IRFU acknowledged that. Clubs got burned and we got burned on it but there’s no compulsion on the clubs to take tickets for the autumn internationals this year to get them for the Six Nations, as was the case then. That connection is gone.

“And they’re right to put the Fiji game out and we’re glad to have it here in Limerick.”