Ulster has given an emphatic yes to the European Cup final against Colomiers at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week, sparking record tickets sales 10 days in advance of what promises to be a momentous occasion. European Rugby Cup Ltd have confirmed that a staggering 46,500 tickets have already been sold, a figure that guarantees them a £700,000 pay-out.
The last remaining 2,500 tickets will go on sale to the general public later today, via a telephone hotline. The number will be announced by the IRFU later today. The only tickets available are those on the terrace as all stand tickets have already been snapped up.
The demand for tickets in Ulster was frenetic as queues formed outside the offices of the Ulster Branch on the Monday morning following their semi-final success over Stade Francais at Ravenhill. Some could not even wait until then using mobile phones seconds after the final whistle to secure hotel rooms in Dublin.
A leading Dublin hotel took their first booking two minutes after the final whistle and by the Monday did not have a room to spare. Guesthouses from Balbriggan to Bray have reported brisk business and eagerly anticipate the northern invasion.
Getting to Dublin for those not prepared to travel by car is far from straightforward. There are no coaches available to be hired from Belfast on the Saturday morning of the game while one individual booked 1,000 train tickets from Belfast to Dublin on that same Monday.
Ulster were originally allocated 20,000 tickets but that figure was increased to 28,000. They easily disposed of the surplus. Only 3,000 supporters will make the pilgrimage from Colomiers. The French club side sent back the rest of their allocation which was then redirected to the IRFU. They offered the tickets through the club network with the result that only 2,500 terrace tickets remain.
The match will break the record for the biggest attendance at a European Cup final held by the Leicester-Brive clash two years ago, at the National Stadium in Cardiff, where 44,000 attended. The first final between Toulouse and Cardiff attracted 21,800, while last year's decider between Bath and Brive brought 36,500 to the Stade Lescure in Bordeaux.
