Kingspan Stadium to Host Pro12 Final

First topic message reminder :

New development for the League,


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/30980843

Final is going to be annoced in advance from now on,

TBH I don't like this idea at all.

All the hosts of the final so far have been able to sell it out before hand, it rewards the team that finishes higher in the league, and what happens is say the final is Ospreys V Glasgow are all these fans expected to travel to Belfast?

Better have the higher team in the League host it, other wise I can see the final being mostly played out in with mostly neutral crowds.

Notch wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Notch wrote:

Wrong. The Glasgow bid was not to hold it at Scotstoun. It was for Rugby Park in Kilmarnock which has a capacity of just over 18000.

Interesting, thanks. have you got a link?

Sorry, I've read too many articles on this to be able to pinpoint the specific one that mentions it.

Google doesn't throw up anything. Makes sense though with Scotstoun being 10,000.

Chunky Norwich wrote:Munster won't play a Sunday game this season.

Just counted and Dragons will play at least 10 Sunday games.

Isn't rugby like a religion in Gwent...


Perhaps the Dragons want to have Sunday games as it allows fans who are actually playing on Saturday to attend and so boost the gates? Maybe they can save on Marshals too as they don't have all the guys who drink 10 pints during the game and then can't hold it, causing fights and brief hospitalisation the next day? Or could it be a conspiracy by the RRW to help heal the disappointments of the weekend by consoling the other three regions' fans that at least they're better than the Dragons?

Might I also point out the little truth that the more games played on Sunday.......... the more games played on Sunday.

Stange but true....  

So.. if part of the discussion here involves an idea that playing on Sunday is not ideal for followers who like to let their hair down on the weekends, then the simple fact that Munster aren't playing Sunday games suggests to me that at least that's fewer Sunday games for Pro12 followers to endure??? - and not just for wily Munster followers either but for their opponents too. (ie, Munster's stubborness helping everyone out)

So the ball is back in the Dragon's court.  Why are they forcing their opponents to play so many Sunday games?

PenfroPete wrote:With SKY Sports coming on board, this has created a change in the broadcast schedule. Speaking from a Welsh perspective before this season

Friday = BBC2 WALES 19:05
Saturday = S4C 17:30
Sunday-= maybe

SKY now have Saturday sown up by the looks of things, so the Welsh broadcasters need Friday and Sunday. Don’t shoot me Dragons fans (especially you Rev     ) but  the Dragons haven’t been a big draw this season, up until now,  hence the 'less attractive' Sunday afternoon slot. Also, as has been stated the ground share with County has had a major impact.

How are the Dragons not a draw? There's guaranteed tries even if they are in the conceded column.

Risca Rev wrote: How are the Dragons not a draw? There's guaranteed tries even if they are in the conceded column.

A bit like the old " Arwel Thomas will always turn the game ........ you just don't know for which team !!"

Hope you're keeping well big fella, been on any 'holidays' lately ?

LordDowlais wrote:

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:That question doesn't even make sense.

Yes it does, you are saying that of all the the cities or stadiums on the short list only two made bids, so I am asking, who was on the short-list altogether ?

Why would a city or stadium that didn't make a bid be on the shortlist?

Because only five cites were considered in the first place. Three of those were from Ireland one from Scotland and one from Wales, and let me just say to you before you answer, the one for Wales was not Cardiff.

No only 2 cities were considered,why would a city or stadium that hadn't bid be considered.Now maybe you mean only 5 cities were eligible to bid but that would put them on the longlist,to get on to the shortlist you would have to enter a bid.

PenfroPete wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:  How are the Dragons not a draw? There's guaranteed tries even if they are in the conceded column.

A bit like the old  " Arwel Thomas will always turn the game  ........ you just don't know for which team !!"

Hope you're keeping well big fella, been on any 'holidays' lately ?

Nah, I'm on a uk shift pattern for the foreseeable.

Safe And Sound bud

The ticket prices have been released. As a fan of a team who will not be making the final i can still honestly say the prices are dreadful

Premium	£80
Grandstand	£47
Memorial End / Family Stand	£37	£21
East / West Terrace	£28
Memorial End / Family Terrace	£22	£16

Like I have said earlier on this thread, I hope the the generous people of Belfast put their hands in their pockets, because if no irish teams make it, the stadium will be empty.

I've got my tickets...

I had a quick trawl on the net, but this http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/final/tickets.php just redirects me to the Guiness Pro 12 site. So, does anyone know what the price range for tickets was last year ?

Someone on the facebook page said Ulster ST Holders were offered to buy up to four yesterday before general sale). For the leagues sake Ulster need to make this final or it could be a disaster.

Coleman wrote:Someone on the facebook page said Ulster ST Holders were offered to buy up to four yesterday before general sale). For the leagues sake Ulster need to make this final or it could be a disaster.

Tbh, I think the game will sellout in advance of the finalists being known (not including the tickets being held back for the finalists) and if there is at least one Irish province will sell out altogether.

Why would people who have tickets not turn up to a game if its on their doorstep regardless of who is playing? People are attracted to events like this because they are big occasions not just out of tribalism for their side.

Coleman wrote:Someone on the facebook page said Ulster ST Holders were offered to buy up to four yesterday before general sale. .

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/3235/Logan-praises-%E2%80%98Team-Belfast%E2%80%99-as-PRO12-final-tickets-go-on-sale.aspx

"Ulster Rugby will offer a priority booking period for season ticket holders on Ticketmaster from 10am on Monday 2nd February until 8am on Tuesday 3rd February."

Why, when it's a 'neutral final' ??

LordDowlais wrote:Like I have said earlier on this thread, I hope the the generous people of Belfast put their hands in their pockets, because if no irish teams make it, the stadium will be empty.

Ulster won't lose money on this. The stadium will not be empty, whoever makes the final, even if not sold out.

PenfroPete wrote:

Coleman wrote:Someone on the facebook page said Ulster ST Holders were offered to buy up to four yesterday before general sale. .

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/News/LatestNews/TabId/149/ArtMID/793/ArticleID/3235/Logan-praises-%E2%80%98Team-Belfast%E2%80%99-as-PRO12-final-tickets-go-on-sale.aspx

"Ulster Rugby will offer a priority booking period for season ticket holders on Ticketmaster from 10am on Monday 2nd February until 8am on Tuesday 3rd February."

Why, when it's a 'neutral final' ??

I think Ulster are taking on the risk, therefore its in their interest to do everything they can to sell as many tickets as possible. If they don't sell, Ulster will lose out financially.

I'm opposed to this format. Rather than Ulster hosting the Final, the league should host it and then the financial risk/reward would be distributed between all teams. If the Final makes a loss, then its Ulster who take the hit. They in turn get concessions re. ticket sales. But the league should take the potential hit and there should be no concessions to the team whose home town its in.

Probably this is because the league doesn't have the ticket-selling infrastructure whereas the clubs/provinces do.

Without wanting to state the obvious, but if this could sell out to Ulster ST holders before going on general sale (as mentioned above) do we not run the risk of no fans from the finalists being at the game? That seems absurd.

Ulsters season ticket holders could purchase until 8am this morning. The tickets are now on general sale since 8am this morning. At least I think that's right.

Griff wrote:Without wanting to state the obvious, but if this could sell out to Ulster ST holders before going on general sale (as mentioned above) do we not run the risk of no fans from the finalists being at the game?  That seems absurd.  

Griff, I assume it'll be like the Aviva and HEC finals, a proportion of tickets are sold in advance and some are kept back for the teams that make the final - there's loads of people that go to all the rugby final games for a day out, I've met fans from just about every club in the country at Twickenham for example, not to mention amateur clubs on a day (weekend!) out to "that there London".

Whoever gets to Belfast will be able to get tickets from their club if they need them (and of course if they are a season ticket holder/member/etc.) otherwise it's be very nice to Rodders/Notch time

Irish Londoner wrote:

Griff wrote:Without wanting to state the obvious, but if this could sell out to Ulster ST holders before going on general sale (as mentioned above) do we not run the risk of no fans from the finalists being at the game?  That seems absurd.  

Griff, I assume it'll be like the Aviva and HEC finals, a proportion of tickets are sold in advance and some are kept back for the teams that make the final - there's loads of people that go to all the rugby final games for a day out, I've met fans from just about every club in the country at Twickenham for example, not to mention amateur clubs on a day (weekend!) out to "that there London".

Whoever gets to Belfast will be able to get tickets from their club if they need them (and of course if they are a season ticket holder/member/etc.) otherwise it's be very nice to Rodders/Notch time

Oh I've got no problems with the concept. Just that someone above mentioned they could all be sold out before going on general sale. I took this to mean that all of the buyers could be Ulster fans.

One of the best games I've been to was actually the rugby league grand final at the MS some years ago. Similar thing - ticket allocations for the finalists and then a load of allocation to all the other clubs. As it's segregated in RL there was a section for Bradford and a section for St Helens (I think ) and then a mishmash of all sorts of clubs in between them (where I was). The atmosphere was great!

Excuse me for pointing out the bleeding obvious here, but isn't the prevalence of Sunday games for Welsh teams because one of their broadcasters, S4C I think, has a Sunday teatime slot to fill? They want to fill that with a Welsh team playing and RRW/WRU signed up to that.

So please don't blame the league / the Irish / the Scots / the monsters in the wardrobe. Look to your own arrangements.

Over 9k tickets sold. With 4k being held back for the 2 finalists, that will leave about 5k yet to sell. Not bad at all for less than a week.

Just bought mine.

Looks like the empty stadium "concern" is ill-founded.