IRFU hope feelgood factor will fuel early ticket sales for November Tests

The IRFU is hoping to cash in on the feelgood factor generated by Ireland’s Six Nations victory by selling their November Guinness Series tickets early.

The union confirmed yesterday that Ireland will take on South Africa, Georgia and Australia on successive weekends in November.

Currently the IRFU earns 85% of its income from ticket sales, TV, merchandising, corporate hospitality and sponsorship around the senior side’s games. It uses that revenue to drive professional rugby in the provinces and develop the grassroots game, which is why the tickets went on sale yesterday in the clubs, eight months before the first game.

Harsh lessons were learned in 2010 when high ticket prices resulted in a Ireland playing before small crowds.

The IRFU has since employed a new ticketing structure and IRFU commercial and marketing director Pádraig Power believes the benefit of that was seen in the turnout for last year’s series against New Zealand, Australia and Samoa.

“The 2013 Guinness Series was a phenomenal success, with record tickets sales for the three games and a fantastic atmosphere generated by the fans, which continued throughout the RBS 6 Nations,” he said.

“We will again be looking at a variety of ticket option packages for families so that as many people as possible can come and support the RBS 6 Nations champions.

“Our advice to fans is to get their tickets early, as last year those who left it late unfortunately missed out.”

A good return on tickets sales will provide the IRFU with a healthy top-up to the €4m in prize money earned from winning the Six Nations.

While some of that money will be given to the players as a bonus, the added revenue will help chase off French clubs circling Ireland’s best players when contract talks resume.

However the immediate concern of the union will be the Heineken Cup, where Leinster, Ulster and Munster have already generated €1,350,000 for reaching the quarter-finals.

Should all three reach the semi-finals it would be worth twice as much to the IRFU, as well as guaranteeing a further seven-figure revenue from gate money and sponsorship.