: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:17 am  

Spot on Andy and as you say, planing is the key. The fixtures should be announced at least a year in advance. This would allow plenty of time for people to save up and buy tickets. a 30 pound ticket spread over 12 months is only 2.50 a month. If people were able to pay that monthly by direct debit or by handing it in at their local club bar one Friday night a month it would be a lot more manageble for folk. When you ask someone to stump up 30 quid a fortnight before a game it seems like a lot more money. There were so many people (especially on here) moaning about the pricing for the Four Nations.
The idea with the amateur clubs is a cracker and some kind of incentive, be it financial or training equipment would encourage ticket sales even further. Many rugby union internationals go on sale over a year in advance. We need to do the same.

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:04 am  

Someone should speak to the RFL about this

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:42 pm  

The original idea of switching to smaller stadiums was to allow international rugby league to regain some credibility by playing in front of full houses and making profits from tournaments.

That was about five years ago and the plan was to eventually move to larger stadiums however that hasn't happened.

The empty seats at the DW Stadium don't suggest that we are ready to start playing games at the Reebok or Elland Road let alone Wembley.

The ticketing strategy for our international game needs to be far more structured than it is. Merely advertising a ticket hotline and expecting fans to dig deep isn't good enough any more.

We need to mirror what the rugby union do and offer clubs of all sizes, professional and amateur a profit share which is dependent upon the number of tickets they can sell via their club.

In this day and age when amateur clubs are fighting for every penny they can get I'm sure that many of them would sell enough tickets to fill two or three coaches. That's around 200 fans if you times that by 50 amateur clubs thats an extra 10,000 fans. Factor in the championship and super league clubs and the fans who would buy a ticket anyway and you begin to build a decent match day attendance.

If you then incentivise fans to attend more than one game you can sustain that crowd throughout the tournament.

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:54 pm  

Those are super ticket selling ideas that would get everyone across the game to the internationals. As Dico said someone should really talk to the RFL. If they can't sell tickets themselves then i think the tickets for all idea would.

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:47 pm  

Ashulster wrote:

Those are super ticket selling ideas that would get everyone across the game to the internationals. As Dico said someone should really talk to the RFL. If they can't sell tickets themselves then i think the tickets for all idea would.

like i said why have a central hub selling tickets when by sending them out to all the clubs (amateur included) at the start of the year you get hundreds of agents doing the job for you, thus cutting back on marketing costs, promotion costs etc (not that youd want to aquiese in it mind)

Like catalancs said training equipment is a great idea for amateur clubs, on a points scheme whereby the more they flog the more points they get and more training equipment is provided by the RFL. This could even be built into the ticket price to cost the RFL nothing if the RFL are worried about costs....ie/ if your a member/sponser/ players family etc. at say wigan st pats are you really going to be bothered say handing over an extra £5 for your international ticket to your club rep next year than you did to the RFL for the same ticket last year knowing the extra £5 is going to your amateur club? and by giving them to the amatuer clubs even if you are, theres going to be dozens more involved with your club eager to snap your ticket up anyway as they will be pushed and promoted all year within the club by each club rep.

Has anyone got an email for the RFL?.....should just really email them a link to this page.

[JTB]

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:53 pm  

The RFL already do a cashback incentive for amateur clubs. It was launched in earnest this year but the main balls up was them wanting £100pp Mid June for 2 end of season internationals as the package included a Puma match shirt and they take 12 weeks to be delivered apparently. However, they are already pushing the scheme for Wembley weekend next year which gives clubs a lot more notice to put something on. They have a couple of fellas working full time at the RFL on it, including going round visiting clubs, one of whom is ex-referee Ray Tennant.

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:18 pm  

:did anybody notice that all barla fixtures went ahead on saturday most of them while england were playing the kangaroos, can anybody explain that one

: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:06 pm  

bladder wrote:

:did anybody notice that all barla fixtures went ahead on saturday most of them while england were playing the kangaroos, can anybody explain that one

That's a bit odd, especially if they sell international tickets to the amateur clubs. What about this weekend, are BARLA fixtures going ahead.

: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:13 am  

No. It is merely still regaining lost ground from the super league war.

Which part of that is a struggle???

: Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:46 am  

Ashulster wrote:

That's a bit odd, especially if they sell international tickets to the amateur clubs. What about this weekend, are BARLA fixtures going ahead.

It does seem bizarre, but i suppose barla can't afford 4 weeks off