SUPPORTING IRELAND during the upcoming Six Nations Championship matches against France and England at Croke Park will cost fans €25 more for top stand tickets than it will to sit in equivalent seats for Republic of Ireland soccer World Cup qualifiers or the All-Ireland football and hurling finals next September.

The most expensive ticket, outside the premium and corporate levels, for next Saturday’s Six Nations clash with France is €95, an 18.75 per cent increase for the same seat (€80) two years ago when the Ireland rugby team played their first international at GAA headquarters, coincidentally against the French.

The decision taken by the IRFU is in marked contrast to the policy adopted by the FAI and GAA. Peter Sherrard, the FAI’s director of communications explained: “We have given an undertaking to maintain our current price levels until at least 2012 in recognition of the current economic climate and as a thank you for the loyalty of the fans.”

GAA spokesman Fergal McGill pointed out: “Our attitude is the same as everyone else’s really in that we are taking into account the economic realities. Out last price increase was in 2007 and we have no plans to increase prices this year.”

The comparison of ticket prices between the three national sporting bodies doesn’t take into account the fact the IRFU must completely fund professional and amateur rugby alike. They pay the salaries of the professional players while also underpinning the club, youth and schools sections.

The IRFU’s commercial and marketing director, Padraig Power, pointed out: “The vast majority of tickets we have sold for the home Six Nations matches were purchased as part of packages. Ireland’s games against New Zealand and France were paired as were those of Argentina and England. If supporters bought one or both of those packages then the cost of a stand ticket works out at €85.

“It is a very small number of stand tickets that have been returned by the visiting unions that have gone on sale for €95. The business model of the IRFU is predicated on revenue generated to pay for the professional game. Any additional revenue we make is then diverted to grass roots. We don’t have shareholders and there is no dividend so all the money is ploughed back into the sport.

“The comparison (in ticket prices) is slightly unfair in that we have limited opportunities to generate revenue and the main outlet in that respect is the national team. Ticket prices are determined by the income required to fund the sport and what the market will bear. If you take the FAI, they do not have to pay players’ wages.

“We are pretty happy to have sold out both home matches in this season’s Six Nations Championship.”

Power confirmed the union keep a weather eye on what the other countries in the Six Nations are charging and discovered the IRFU is mid-table in that respect.

The best stand ticket outside of the corporate sector for Scotland’s home matches in the Six Nations can be purchased for £60 (€66.45), at the Millennium Stadium in Wales it’s £65 (€71.99), Twickenham £85 (€94.14), in the Stadio Flaminio in Rome €99 while the Stade de France tops the price structure with stand seats on offer for €110.

Power added: “Going forward we will be carefully reviewing the ticket pricing policy in terms of guaranteeing the revenue required to run the sport against what people can afford. We think we are delivering good value reflected the strength of the demand for tickets.”

It’s seems to be the case at present with both the French and English games sold out but given the current economic climate, maintaining that demand amongst supporters, especially those with an interest in several sports, will be predicated on the success of the national side.

PRICE COMPARISON:                   2007                   2008                           2009


                                             Stand/Terrace         Stand/Terrace           Stand/Terrace

                       Six Nations           €80/€30                  €70/€30                   €95/€38

                  All-Ireland finals        €70/€35                   €70/€35                  €70/€35

                 World Cup qualifiers   €70/ —                      €70/ —                    €70/ —

                 (Prices are top stand tickets outside the premium and corporate levels)

* In 2008 Six Nations top stand ticket prices were €60 for Italy; €70 Wales and Scotland.