The WRU announce cut in ticket prices for Wales games this autumn

Well this is very refreshing news, adults can watch Wales play Australia and South Africa from as little as £25 and £45 being the most expensive, kids can get in for £15. Also for the Georgia game adults pay £20 and kids pay £10.

Read more here:-

http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/wales/news/wales/38695.php#.WQH7Sfnyv3g

I am happy to see this in this money mad world of sport we live in these days.

What would be genuinely refreshing is if they didn't arrange any AIs this year and gave the players a break from Test rugby.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:What would be genuinely refreshing is if they didn't arrange any AIs this year and gave the players a break from Test rugby.

Why ?

Because there's too much Test rugby and players' bodies can't handle it.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Because there's too much Test rugby and players' bodies can't handle it.

But this happens every year, I am always hearing this, yet rugby players always have long fruitful careers, not very often are their careers cut short, and that is from one off horrendous injuries or somebody who is forced to retire in their 30's. The money they can earn nowadays is substantial. I would play as much rugby as I was told to if I was getting paid that money for it.

I think too much emphasis is being put on that argument. There are other factors that cause what you are saying in rugby, and international rugby is not the only reason for it.

LordDowlais wrote:Well this is very refreshing news, adults can watch Wales play Australia and South Africa from as little as £25 and £45 being the most expensive, kids can get in for £15. Also for the Georgia game adults pay £20 and kids pay £10.

Read more here:-

http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/wales/news/wales/38695.php#.WQH7Sfnyv3g

I am happy to see this in this money mad world of sport we live in these days.

Tons of money for the unions is why these games are arranged though, mun. And the low ticket prices are the indication that punters are tired of watching the same old, 17 times a year.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:What would be genuinely refreshing is if they didn't arrange any AIs this year and gave the players a break from Test rugby.

Last game on 2 Dec, so A&WIs now shewerly?

Are the WRU reducing the prices, for the good of the game?

Or is it more out of desperation to get the stadium full because they are not gettiing it full at the moment.?

Any loss in revenue will be covered by a 5th 'Autumn' International.

The stadium was looking empty last Autumn, but fair play to the WRU as they recognized that fans were voting with their feet and pockets.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Because there's too much Test rugby and players' bodies can't handle it.

Give the Lions players an elongated rest period after the Summer, and if- on an individual basis- they're still not ready to play a few club games before the AIs, pick the squad primarily/solely from those who didn't go on the Lions Tour. The World Cup rankings will be have been set by then, so even if we lose all 4, that's something we don't have to worry about.

majesticimperialman wrote:Are the WRU reducing the prices, for the good of the game?

Or is it more out of desperation to get the stadium full because they are not gettiing it full at the moment.?

Why is it either or? Surely it's for the good of the game to have as many people inside the national stadium as can be? The Welsh Rugby public does not come from the same background as the English; lowering the cost of tickets by what may appear a neglibile amount to some/many wealthier fans is the difference between going and not going to others.

It's a win-win-win. Not only does 10,000 more tickets at a slightly lower price potentially benefit- or at the least, make no big impact- into the finances of the WRU, but a full stadium equates to better atmosphere, which in turn boosts the team on the pitch. More people coming to Wales games means more people enfranchised, and particularly if they are young people, can/does have the knock on effect of inspiring people to go and play rugby/get involved in the game once the full time whistle blows. Let's also not forget that lower ticket prices will be appreciated by 'away' fans, too.

The Six Nations sells out at the Millennium, without fail. The AIs don't quite have the same appeal, unless it's The All Blacks. Frankly, the more under 16s in the stadium the better. The crowd has changed in the last decade from one comprised of Rugby fans from all walks of life, to one now that has a big proportion of treating a game as the first stop on a Cardiff bar crawl. Of course, there are still plenty of people there primarily and solely for the love of the game, but by encouraging more of a 'family' environment (and I don't mean cuddly toys and bouncy castles), you hopefully see the propensity of people who are standing up every 5 minutes to go to the bar and/or toilet diminish as it becomes less acceptable/welcomed by those who are there for the game.

Wales doesn't have the luxury of a modern Club system. In modernising, and creating the regions, we attempted to 'fast track' the idea of corporate, middle class Sport into a country where the infrastructure wasn't there. Where English football had the mass support of large, industrial populations behind their clubs, Wales had for the most part small towns and villages with well supported clubs, and only in a small part of the country. One town's post-industrial decline was felt far harder in terms of the sport than it would have been in English football.

Where, eventually, the crowds of English football became a mixture of the former working classes, as well as those who graduated into a middle class earning band, Wales hasn't seen this social change to positively offset the rise in cost of supporting a region. Cardiff is by far the best placed location to achieve the sort of crowd that the regions would want, and need, to sustain and grow as businesses and sports clubs, which makes their period of continued mediocrity and bad management all the more galling.

Without the geographical partisanship and historical identity of an established club system, as well as being unable to sustain competitive, professional Rugby amongst those clubs where local pride and historic support is entrenched, the international team has become more important than ever. It allows large swathes of the country an avenue of support where the club system fails them. Whatever cynicism you may find in this move- and it may only be a precursor to raising the prices in a few years' time- I see almost no negative to it for those who want to see their country play Rugby.

Miaow, you forgot to mention what gifts The 3 Wise men brought to the baby Jesus.

This is whatever you want it to be. A panic move to save Welsh rugby from the Premiership, to save the regions from the apparent lack of grassroots interest or populist move to show how socially responsible and aware the WRU are of the poor Welsh public

I expect it is because by comparison with the 6 Nations, the prospect of empty seats again shows up the whole problem of dwindling support more at the Principality, the best rugby venue in the world, than anywhere else. Problem is we'll be subjected to the high pitched support of the boys and girls aged 9 and 10 from the regions schools which creates an unforgettably forgettable atmosphere.

Just looked up the 2016 AI attendances: Aus, Arg and SA games were around the 50-55k mark, but Japan was 73k!!! Seems odd. Different pricing strategy for the Japan game maybe?

Must have been as you can see sales reverted to 50k or thereabouts for the SA game where no doubt ticket prices were returned to normal levels

Gwlad wrote:Miaow, you forgot to mention what gifts The 3 Wise men brought to the baby Jesus.

Wit drier than Gwlad's love interests.

miaow wrote:

Gwlad wrote:Miaow, you forgot to mention what gifts The 3 Wise men brought to the baby Jesus.

Wit drier than Gwlad's love interests.

Wit drier than the gobi

People don't want to see a poor Welsh team lose. Thats the only reason prices have dropped. Welsh rugby fans tend to be very fickle.

Is it possible the WRU realize the value of a packed stadium to the team, perhaps?

I'd expect us to at least be able to beat SA! Georgia might be fun, obviously we'll lose to Oz in the last minute and likely we'll finally do the ABs who will still be chastened by losing 2-1 to the Welsh Lions.

Griff wrote:Just looked up the 2016 AI attendances: Aus, Arg and SA games were around the 50-55k mark, but Japan was 73k!!! Seems odd. Different pricing strategy for the Japan game maybe?

Maybe the Welsh public were looking forward to a good contest between 2 closely matched sides.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

Griff wrote:Just looked up the 2016 AI attendances: Aus, Arg and SA games were around the 50-55k mark, but Japan was 73k!!! Seems odd. Different pricing strategy for the Japan game maybe?

Maybe the Welsh public were looking forward to a good contest between 2 closely matched sides.