Small attendance at Rabo Semi

[RedTom]

How do we explain the lowest crowd of the season for the Rabo Semi Final last Saturday??

We all know (excluding Leinster Rugby) it is because everybody is hard pressed financially these days and forking out another €30 - €60 was too big an ask for many loyal fans. Leinster need to review their pricing for non Season Ticket games such as this. The turnout on Saturday is an embarrassment to Leinster Rugby the league as a whole and was foreseeable.

Furthermore, the Rabo 12 Final lottery is once again structured for those without financial constraints, i.e. you could end up getting a €60 seat when €30 is your budget limit (South/North Stand) and you don't get to sit with your mates. Why not have all unreserved seating throughout the stadium (this might be the case, if so I haven't seen it publicised anywhere) and split the lottery between the North/South Stands and the two grandstands. Too much trouble I guess!

[johng]

How do we explain the lowest crowd of the season for the Rabo Semi Final last Saturday??

Possibly wasn't the lowest as the League games are reported on tickets sold rather than actual attendance.

We all know (excluding Leinster Rugby) it is because everybody is hard pressed financially these days and forking out another €30 - €60 was too big an ask for many loyal fans. Leinster need to review their pricing for non Season Ticket games such as this. The turnout on Saturday is an embarrassment to Leinster Rugby the league as a whole and was foreseeable.

No arguement on the embarassment

Furthermore, the Rabo 12 Final lottery is once again structured for those without financial constraints, i.e. you could end up getting a €60 seat when €30 is your budget limit (South/North Stand) and you don't get to sit with your mates. Why not have all unreserved seating throughout the stadium (this might be the case, if so I haven't seen it publicised anywhere) and split the lottery between the North/South Stands and the two grandstands. Too much trouble I guess!

It's actually not. The lottery is for seats. You then have to buy them on a first come first served basis. Likely that the last to go will be the South stand (I think the Nordies are getting the North stand) So you can buy the cheapest seats

[Sionnach]

It's not just the cost of the semi-final, it's the fact that you'd want to go to the final as well, if your team were to make it.

So, you have the choice (in reality) of paying €x to watch your team lose, and that's it. Or don't go and hope that they win and, pay €x to go to the final ... or pay double to watch both.

People without money to throw around and can afford one match would rationally take the chance that their team would make the final and save it up for that game, rather than spend their money on a semi-final but not the final.

[johng]

It's not just the cost of the semi-final, it's the fact that you'd want to go to the final as well, if your team were to make it.

So, you have the choice (in reality) of paying €x to watch your team lose, and that's it. Or don't go and hope that they win and, pay €x to go to the final ... or pay double to watch both.

People without money to throw around and can afford one match would rationally take the chance that their team would make the final and pay for that game, rather than spend their money on a semi-final but not the final.

I did that for the Semis in Bordeaux and Toulouse as I could no way afford them and the final. One worked out one didn't.

I know some people have to come a long way to home games but if I lived anywhere within the province of Leinster I and had feck all cash, I'd buy a south stand ticket for 30 bills and hitch a lift if I had to.

[Logorrhea]

Funnily enough it was a great game and while Glasgow only brought about 100 with them, the atmosphere was actually pretty good.

[suisse]

This thread comes about a month - maybe less - when a Leinster fan from here started a thread throwing Munster fans under the bus because their average gate had dropped this season. The Glasgow figure is embarrassing. If all the regulars can't make it, where are the people who filled Aviva for Munster and Clermont? Being the only pro sports team in a city/province that has a population around 2 million, we should be able to get 18,500 people through the gates for a League semi final

[blockhead]

This thread comes about a month - maybe less - when a Leinster fan from here started a thread throwing Munster fans under the bus because their average gate had dropped this season. The Glasgow figure is embarrassing. If all the regulars can't make it, where are the people who filled Aviva for Munster and Clermont? Being the only pro sports team in a city/province that has a population around 2 million, we should be able to get 18,500 people through the gates for a League semi final

The last 3 home Rabo semis in the RDS have seen the same scenario. Lower than usual attendances. I don't know why that is, its not as some have suggested, the calibre of the opposition this time, since we had only 14k when Ulster turned up 2 years ago. I'm not one bit embarrassed about it, rather proud of the 13k+ that turned out.

[Broken Wing]

We can't make Glasgow fans buy tickets, pay travel costs and travel over at such short notice. Nor can we really blame some Leinster fans who had other plans or financial constraints preventing them coming along at such short notice.

I don't see how it is in any way an embarrassment to the league. The attendance was higher than the other semi and higher than most regual season league games and from my seat in the South stand the ground didn't look empty so I'd be surprised if it looked empty on TV. There was also a better atmosphere than at some regular season games I've attended.

[OTT]

I am a cheapskate terrace ticket dweller so it was 27euro for a ticket for the match for me (decent enough price) but out of nosyness I looked up ticketmaster and Block A (Basically the seats in Herbert Park)in the Anglesea were selling for 50euro plus whatever service charge, the same seats for the Amlin final are/were 22euro(inclusive of service charge). Better pricing might not have filled the place but it probably would have got alot of people who were on the fence. Those seats are are not worth more then 20 quid on any day of the week and the other end of the Anglesea are probably worth 30euro at most. The option to buy cheaper seats that are inferior as opposed to getting rogered for buying them would be an idea?

[Xanthippe]

I am a cheapskate terrace ticket dweller so it was 27euro for a ticket for the match for me (decent enough price) but out of nosyness I looked up ticketmaster and Block A (Basically the seats in Herbert Park)in the Anglesea were selling for 50euro plus whatever service charge, the same seats for the Amlin final are/were 22euro(inclusive of service charge). Better pricing might not have filled the place but it probably would have got alot of people who were on the fence. Those seats are are not worth more then 20 quid on any day of the week and the other end of the Anglesea are probably worth 30euro at most. The option to buy cheaper seats that are inferior as opposed to getting rogered for buying them would be an idea?

What really, really annoys me (and I'd love to know if it's a TM decision, an RDS decision or a Leinster Rugby decision) is that walk-ups on the day got Anglesea Block C, Row B for the price of North and South Stand tickets - my Row A seats cost me €60 each because I bought them as soon as we qualified! So the family behind me, who knew less than nothing about rugby (they spent 10 minutes of the warm up wondering why the couldn't see Sexton before realising they were watching Glasgow!!) got their 4 tickets for about €40 less than it cost me for two!

[OTT]

I am a cheapskate terrace ticket dweller so it was 27euro for a ticket for the match for me (decent enough price) but out of nosyness I looked up ticketmaster and Block A (Basically the seats in Herbert Park)in the Anglesea were selling for 50euro plus whatever service charge, the same seats for the Amlin final are/were 22euro(inclusive of service charge). Better pricing might not have filled the place but it probably would have got alot of people who were on the fence. Those seats are are not worth more then 20 quid on any day of the week and the other end of the Anglesea are probably worth 30euro at most. The option to buy cheaper seats that are inferior as opposed to getting rogered for buying them would be an idea?

What really, really annoys me (and I'd love to know if it's a TM decision, an RDS decision or a Leinster Rugby decision) is that walk-ups on the day got Anglesea Block C, Row B for the price of North and South Stand tickets - my Row A seats cost me €60 each because I bought them as soon as we qualified! So the family behind me, who knew less than nothing about rugby (they spent 10 minutes of the warm up wondering why the couldn't see Sexton before realising they were watching Glasgow!!) got their 4 tickets for about €40 less than it cost me for two!

That is crazy and bad policy and will only infuriate regulars (I would be livid) at a time when one might think they should be rewarded just as not distinguishing between the price of a seat near half way and one that nearly isnt in the stadium on ticketmaster is crazy and bad policy. Its simple cop on shift those cr@p seats for 20euro each to that family, they have cheap tickets they are happy the regular person in the 60euro seat does not feel like they are getting penalised for supporting their team without condition. When there are away fans sitting in that Block A for HCUP matches it is actually embarrassing as a Leinster fan. There would be serious outrage on here if we were shovelled into seats that were beyond the pitch and charged a premium rate for the pleasure abroad.

BTW I actually think leinster have come on leaps and bounds in their handling of ticket's, lottos etc etc in recent years I just cant see how simple things like your experience on sat and my difficulty with the pricing of the worst seats in the house isnt a no brainer(hate that saying but in this instance it is probably correct). But they do improve every year so maybe next year this will be their improvement.

[Xanthippe]

I am a cheapskate terrace ticket dweller so it was 27euro for a ticket for the match for me (decent enough price) but out of nosyness I looked up ticketmaster and Block A (Basically the seats in Herbert Park)in the Anglesea were selling for 50euro plus whatever service charge, the same seats for the Amlin final are/were 22euro(inclusive of service charge). Better pricing might not have filled the place but it probably would have got alot of people who were on the fence. Those seats are are not worth more then 20 quid on any day of the week and the other end of the Anglesea are probably worth 30euro at most. The option to buy cheaper seats that are inferior as opposed to getting rogered for buying them would be an idea?

What really, really annoys me (and I'd love to know if it's a TM decision, an RDS decision or a Leinster Rugby decision) is that walk-ups on the day got Anglesea Block C, Row B for the price of North and South Stand tickets - my Row A seats cost me €60 each because I bought them as soon as we qualified! So the family behind me, who knew less than nothing about rugby (they spent 10 minutes of the warm up wondering why the couldn't see Sexton before realising they were watching Glasgow!!) got their 4 tickets for about €40 less than it cost me for two!

That is crazy and bad policy and will only infuriate regulars (I would be livid) at a time when one might think they should be rewarded just as not distinguishing between the price of a seat near half way and one that nearly isnt in the stadium on ticketmaster is crazy and bad policy. Its simple cop on shift those cr@p seats for 20euro each to that family, they have cheap tickets they are happy the regular person in the 60euro seat does not feel like they are getting penalised for supporting their team without condition. When there are away fans sitting in that Block A for HCUP matches it is actually embarrassing as a Leinster fan. There would be serious outrage on here if we were shovelled into seats that were beyond the pitch and charged a premium rate for the pleasure abroad.

BTW I actually think leinster have come on leaps and bounds in their handling of ticket's, lottos etc etc in recent years I just cant see how simple things like your experience on sat and my difficulty with the pricing of the worst seats in the house isnt a no brainer(hate that saying but in this instance it is probably correct). But they do improve every year so maybe next year this will be their improvement.

This is why I said I'd love to know, in the last few minutes of sales, who is responsible for deciding which tickets are sold first. Have a feeling it may be a Ticketmaster decision but obviously can't be sure.

[ribs]

How can we find out?

[fourthirtythree]

Look, can I just say that while Leinster fans could only muster a small semi for the Pro 12 play offs this is disappointing but nothing to be ashamed of okay? I'm told there is all manner of help available. But if we persist in this culture of shame we will never heal.

Irish too if I'm not mistaken.

[Hornet]

Look, can I just say that while Leinster fans could only muster a small semi for the Pro 12 play offs this is disappointing but nothing to be ashamed of okay? I'm told there is all manner of help available. But if we persist in this culture of shame we will never heal.

Irish too if I'm not mistaken.

It's not what you have got, it's what you do with it!

[suisse]

This thread comes about a month - maybe less - when a Leinster fan from here started a thread throwing Munster fans under the bus because their average gate had dropped this season. The Glasgow figure is embarrassing. If all the regulars can't make it, where are the people who filled Aviva for Munster and Clermont? Being the only pro sports team in a city/province that has a population around 2 million, we should be able to get 18,500 people through the gates for a League semi final

The last 3 home Rabo semis in the RDS have seen the same scenario. Lower than usual attendances. I don't know why that is, its not as some have suggested, the calibre of the opposition this time, since we had only 14k when Ulster turned up 2 years ago. I'm not one bit embarrassed about it, rather proud of the 13k+ that turned out.

Thank God we're a successful team then. Imagine the numbers if we went through a few lean years. 13,000 is not a good number and we should think before we have a pop at Munster for getting some shitty numbers in MP and TP. Rugby isn't competing with anything right now. I know 30-60 euro is a lot, but we're not asking thew same 18,500 to turn up for every game. We can forget about using the Aviva as a home ground for 2 decades if we can only get 13k for a League semi.

[blockhead]

This thread comes about a month - maybe less - when a Leinster fan from here started a thread throwing Munster fans under the bus because their average gate had dropped this season. The Glasgow figure is embarrassing. If all the regulars can't make it, where are the people who filled Aviva for Munster and Clermont? Being the only pro sports team in a city/province that has a population around 2 million, we should be able to get 18,500 people through the gates for a League semi final

The last 3 home Rabo semis in the RDS have seen the same scenario. Lower than usual attendances. I don't know why that is, its not as some have suggested, the calibre of the opposition this time, since we had only 14k when Ulster turned up 2 years ago. I'm not one bit embarrassed about it, rather proud of the 13k+ that turned out.

Thank God we're a successful team then. Imagine the numbers if we went through a few lean years. 13,000 is not a good number and we should think before we have a pop at Munster for getting some shitty numbers in MP and TP. Rugby isn't competing with anything right now. I know 30-60 euro is a lot, but we're not asking thew same 18,500 to turn up for every game. We can forget about using the Aviva as a home ground for 2 decades if we can only get 13k for a League semi.

Suisse, in the 2011 season we played a rabo home semi in the rds in front of 14k, and that was against Ulster. Since then we have packed out the Aviva on many occasions, including against teams as sexy as bath and cardiff. Our aves are up again this year and nearly every rabo game this season has shown an increase over last years corresponding fixture. To take the semi as being indicative of our support is being negative and a recent history has proven, incorrect.

[Dexter]

I'm ashamed that I'm not ashamed.

[johng]

I am merely embarrassed. Not ashamed. Leicester had over 20000 at theirs. While Sarries only had half that, that's all their stadium holds.

I think Ulster's was a sell out too?

[BRulster]

I think Ulster's was a sell out too?

There were a few late returns went on sale on the Fri afternoon, which didn't get shifted, but it was as near as damn it.

Don't think there's anything to be embarrassed about. You've had a good gate since you left Donneybrook.