'We have to maximise our revenues': IRFU defend increasing ticket prices

The Aviva Stadium before the Quilter Nations Series clash between Ireland and Australia. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

IRFU chief Kevin Potts has defended the price of tickets for men’s Test games at the Aviva Stadium and robustly challenged the suggestion that the atmosphere at their Ballsbridge venue has become overly corporate.

The cost of attending the senior national team’s games in Dublin has ballooned in modern times, from €90 for a Category A admission in 2013 to €160 for the biggest games in the current November window. An increase of almost 78% in 12 years.

The union’s chief financial officer, Thelma O’Driscoll, explained that match revenue is crucial to the organisation but that they attempt to balance the need to maximise revenue with affordability for fans.

An independent consultant was commissioned this year to review ticketing prices and ensure that they were benchmarked with other unions and the wider industry, and she added that they are “comfortable” with the charges asked at the moment.

“It's worth saying we have the smallest stadium in the Six Nations” said Potts. “As Thelma said, the five or six match days we have every year, we have to generate the revenue we need to be able to fund the game, to be able to keep the national team competitive, to invest in our women's game and the grassroots game.

“So we have to charge prices that fill the stadium and deliver the revenues we need. I'm very aware that for fans it's a big price but so far they've been happy to pay it. It's up to us to make sure when they get into the stadium that our team is performing and hopefully winning and that they have a good day out.

“But we thank all our fans, because without them buying these tickets, we would have more serious issues with our revenue challenges. 

“We do get it but, again, we have to maximise our revenues, otherwise we've nothing to invest into the game.” 

Potts said there was no indication on their end that the increase in prices and associated spends in attending games of hotels, food and fuel costs has resulted in a reduction in the number of fans travelling from beyond the capital.

The Aviva atmosphere has regularly been deemed below par, however, and many have pointed the finger at the ever-spiralling ticket costs. The phrase ‘corporate day out’ was put to the CEO and he did not take it kindly.

“I don't agree that it's a corporate day out. Many, many people I know are here and have been here for years supporting rugby and there are rugby people around the stadium.

"To be constantly calling it a corporate day out, I don't think it's fair to the fans who are there because it's not. There are corporates here for sure, and we need them, and we're very appreciative of their support.

"Everybody who pays a price to come into that stadium is here to follow our national team. And calling it a corporate day out, I think, is disingenuous to all of them.”