Industry News

Munster to address surcharge concerns

Irish rugby union club Munster has promised to address concerns that some 10-year ticket-holders are being subjected to higher surcharges when purchasing tickets for knockout matches than supporters’ club members.

The issue surfaced when Dan Noonan, a 10-year ticket holder, paid a €5.95 (£5.04/$6.27) booking fee per €60 ticket to Munster’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse on April 1, on the province’s official ticketing agency, Ticketmaster.

Later, he purchased a €40 terrace ticket for the same game for one of his children through the Munster Rugby Supporters Club and was levied with a surcharge of only €1.50.

Munster Rugby told the Irish Examiner that the discrepancy between charges, pertaining to MRSC members and 10-year ticket holders, was due to the latter being on the Ticketmaster system, which is tied to its preliminary terms and standard service charges.

Meanwhile, the MRSC was a late addition to the Ticketmaster platform following negotiations that updated the terms and reduced the service charge for its members.

The European knockout fixture falls outside the games eligible under the 10-year ticket scheme, launched after the redevelopment of its home ground, Thomond Park, in 2008.

Having spent well in excess of the €10,000 outlay for his 10-year tickets in 2008, Noonan said he was considering whether to renew them next year and was hoping an annual payment plan or five-year option was made available.

Munster’s head of marketing, Enda Lynch, promised that the issue would be prioritised in future negotiations with Ticketmaster.

“We recently held a very positive focus group with our 10-year ticket-holders in looking ahead to the upcoming renewal period. It was noted that the Ticketmaster service charge was an area to be addressed and this is something we are prioritising,” Lynch said.