Wales’ home Six Nations rugby games are struggling to sell out and fans are criticising the prices of the tickets. The best seats at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff cost £115, but some rugby clubs are offering to sell their ticket allocations below the asking price. A trip to a game with his partner and two children would cost one fan more than £500 once train travel and a meal were factored in.
In response, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said all proceeds from stadium games went back into the national game, and it worked hard to make matches “as accessible as possible with a wide range of prices” available. However, some fans have suggested that the WRU release tickets for matches earlier, allowing people to “start putting money aside for the day”.
Although the cheap tickets have sold out for Wales’ remaining home matches, some of the more expensive categories are still available from the WRU and its official resale site. But there is also a trade in tickets on social media, with some grassroots rugby clubs offering to sell their official allocations of tickets for a big discount. These are tickets which have not been bought by members of the rugby club, who would have had first refusal.
A business expert said the stadium had a “significant” impact on the broader economy in Cardiff. WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said: “All proceeds from the internationals we host at Principality Stadium are fed back into the game in Wales. In fact around 65% of the WRU’s turnover comes from hosting these games and associated commercial activities. We work hard on ensuring our matches are as accessible as possible with a wide range of prices available to watch Wales during the season.
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