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Irish Rugby defers 10-year ticket payment due to uncertainty

IRFU

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) has deferred 10-year ticket scheme payments until there is further clarity on when international rugby can welcome fans back.

The €15,000 ticket package for international rugby matches at Aviva Stadium has seen fans already hand over the €1,500 deposit and the first scheduled payment based on their preferred payment options.

Fans were questioning what to do after international rugby was halted in March due to COVID-19 with no current plans on when it would resume.

The final payment of €8,700 in option one of the three paying options was due on June 1, leaving ticketholders uncertain whether or not to pay due to no games being held.

The IRFU has also assured ticketholders that their seating request remains secure and that the ‘life’ of their tickets will only begin once international rugby restarts.

In a letter sent to customers, IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said the body does not know when international rugby will resume with spectators, adding: “Consequently, we have taken the decision to defer the payment of this tranche until such time as we have greater clarity.

“Once we have more clarity around the resumption of fixtures, we will be in contact with you directly via our ticketing department with further details and to reschedule the settlement of this payment in advance of resumption.”

The governing body for rugby in Ireland is also reportedly expected to lobby the government to reduce physical distancing to one metre in order to increase attendance opportunities when Irish stadia reopen.

Browne has continued to express his concern about the financial viability of Irish rugby without supporters at the Aviva Stadium.

TicketSource

Cardiff-based online ticketing platform TicketSource has launched a new social distancing feature for seating plans to help event organisers and theatres.

The new feature provides event organisers with the option to automatically block out the seats surrounding a customer’s booking, ensuring audience members are kept at a safe distance from one another during a performance.

TicketSource founder and chief executive, Simon Wilsher, said: “By introducing the social distancing feature to our platform, event organisers now have the ability to determine the number of adjacent seats to block out for each completed booking. The result is the creation of a socially distanced bubble around the ticket holder, providing them with additional reassurance during these uncertain times.”

Sarah Gent from The Witham Hall Theatre, said: “We closed our doors in March and we are still currently closed. To have a built-in feature would help us plan and explore how we can fit people safely into our space. Being able to get our events back up and running safely and prudently would make a huge difference to us financially.

“I think it’s a really positive move and really appreciate the response from TicketSource to help support venues get through this difficult time. We can’t wait to welcome people back for arts events viable it is for us to be able to reopen the theatre sooner.”

Image: William Murphy