2015 HEC Final

[The Doc]

Would there be concerns re this selling out?

There sure would. Especially if there are no French teams in the tournament! We had two teams in Dublin with bugger all support so the stadium was largely full of locally interested rugby fans of which there are very few in Milan.

They have been getting quite a large crowd of "vaguely interested what this is all about" punters in Italy in the last year or so - the 6N matches earlier this year for example. I would say a bit of local marketing along the likes of "Rugby equivalent to European Champions League in our City" would get a decent crowd of walk ins

[simonokeeffe]

developing developing markets, they ripped the idea off from Rugby Champions Cup

It's what the fans want

not this fan, meant to be a scary take off and landing to/from Milan airport coming over the mountains

[Broken Wing]

A pity it's the same year as the RWC but I think this trip is a must do.

[Hornet]

developing developing markets, they ripped the idea off from Rugby Champions Cup

It's what the fans want

not this fan, meant to be a scary take off and landing to/from Milan airport coming over the mountains

You'va a choice of three (Linate, Malpensa, Bergamo). Never had a problem into/out of any of them. (More than can be said for Birmingham a few years ago)

[TerenureJim]

True but would there be a big enough Rugby playing population interested to make the trip.

They did quite well in selling tickets when NZ came to town in Milan to face Italy a season or two back.

[simonno6]

True but would there be a big enough Rugby playing population interested to make the trip.

They did quite well in selling tickets when NZ came to town in Milan to face Italy a season or two back.

Again true but the lure of the All Blacks should be greater, and they still only did 'quite well'.

They have a lot to compete with what with all those knack-ball games and bunga bunga parties.

[domhnallj]

True but would there be a big enough Rugby playing population interested to make the trip.

They did quite well in selling tickets when NZ came to town in Milan to face Italy a season or two back.

Again true but the lure of the All Blacks should be greater, and they still only did 'quite well'.

They have a lot to compete with what with all those knack-ball games and bunga bunga parties.

Usually at the same time - now thats prime time viewing

[Lar]

True but would there be a big enough Rugby playing population interested to make the trip.

They did quite well in selling tickets when NZ came to town in Milan to face Italy a season or two back.

Again true but the lure of the All Blacks should be greater, and they still only did 'quite well'.

They have a lot to compete with what with all those knack-ball games and bunga bunga parties.

Bunga Bunga parties in the San Siro? Bloody hell.

I like the ERC's timing on all this. Getting on with the business of running the Heineken Cup regardless of the bluff and bluster from the PRL. I wonder have Peter Wheeler and Pascal Goze made arrangements to come to Dublin on 23 and 24 October after all?

[TheBear]

True but would there be a big enough Rugby playing population interested to make the trip.

They did quite well in selling tickets when NZ came to town in Milan to face Italy a season or two back.

Again true but the lure of the All Blacks should be greater, and they still only did 'quite well'.

They have a lot to compete with what with all those knack-ball games and bunga bunga parties.

So long as they don't have two French teams in the final, they'll be fine. Irish and English teams bring a bit of a crowd, I'm sure Welsh and Scots would too if they made it, and then there's the sizeable number of people who travel to all the finals, irrespective of who's playing.

I think lots of people would be more inclined to go if it's in Milan on the grounds that a) there'd be a novelty in going to see the stadium and b) the weather is more likely to be agreeable.

[Morf]

How much have the flights gone up already?

[TheBear]

How much have the flights gone up already?

Has the date been announced, or just the venue?

(Also, generally you can only buy flights 330 days in advance, though that may be different if going through a travel agent.)

[Morf]

How much have the flights gone up already?

Has the date been announced, or just the venue?

(Also, generally you can only buy flights 330 days in advance, though that may be different if going through a travel agent.)

Is this a regulation or just a limitation of online booking on sites?

[TheBear]

How much have the flights gone up already?

Has the date been announced, or just the venue?

(Also, generally you can only buy flights 330 days in advance, though that may be different if going through a travel agent.)

Is this a regulation or just a limitation of online booking on sites?

Not sure if it's a regulation, but it's been in place for ages. Go on to the Aer Lingus website, and try to book for late September next year, and it'll tell you that you can only book 330 days in advance.

Edit: I may be making stuff up about it being a general rule. Ryanair site has allowed me to request flights for October next year.

[Morf]

Has the date been announced, or just the venue?

(Also, generally you can only buy flights 330 days in advance, though that may be different if going through a travel agent.)

Is this a regulation or just a limitation of online booking on sites?

Not sure if it's a regulation, but it's been in place for ages. Go on to the Aer Lingus website, and try to book for late September next year, and it'll tell you that you can only book 330 days in advance.

Edit: I may be making stuff up about it being a general rule. Ryanair site has allowed me to request flights for October next year.

I tried Expedia and it seems to be the same!

Thanks for the info anyway.

[rooster]

developing developing markets, they ripped the idea off from Rugby Champions Cup

It's what the fans want

not this fan, meant to be a scary take off and landing to/from Milan airport coming over the mountains

Total balls, landed in Milan in a blizzard and the pilot didn't even get the plane sideways !

[blockhead]

Driving to Milan from the south of France seems a lot less arduous than drive/ferry/drive or whatever to Dublin/Cardiff/Edinburgh etc. The French may travel in big numbers to a Final in the San Siro.

[rooster]

How much have the flights gone up already?

Has the date been announced, or just the venue?

(Also, generally you can only buy flights 330 days in advance, though that may be different if going through a travel agent.)

Is this a regulation or just a limitation of online booking on sites?

Heard once from a travel agent that the main reason is that enough people get the wrong month for bookings never mind add in the year factor also airlines usually don't have their routes and timetables sorted anyway.

[Alternative Ulster]

Sorry wrong thread

[Flash Gordon]

Except that Milan, being in Lombardy, and next door to Venetia, is the hub of the rugby playing population of Italy.

Even if you took the average attendance for both Italian teams and assumed every one of them would go you'd still have 75k empty spaces. There are very few teams that would bring enough supporters to fill a stadium of this size. I think they might have been better going for somewhere like Verona - 44k stadium, beautiful city, easy enough to get too and close to the rugby hotbed too. Anyway, all very hypothetical at this stage obviously!

[rooster]

Except that Milan, being in Lombardy, and next door to Venetia, is the hub of the rugby playing population of Italy.

Even if you took the average attendance for both Italian teams and assumed every one of them would go you'd still have 75k empty spaces. There are very few teams that would bring enough supporters to fill a stadium of this size. I think they might have been better going for somewhere like Verona - 44k stadium, beautiful city, easy enough to get too and close to the rugby hotbed too. Anyway, all very hypothetical at this stage obviously!

I've been at a couple of other Italian matches Rovigo and Parma and Viadana and Moniglio and they have the same sort of crowds as Zebre so add in those fans and they will soon get the numbers up plus I think a lot of casual tourists will go.