That will be the first of four matches in the Autumn Series at the Millennium Stadium and the WRU have agreed to play the games against Romania and Japan on Friday nights, to offer reduced prices for those matches – and to include an A4 match programme and free DVD within the ticket package for the New Zealand and South Africa matches and a match programme for the Romania and Japan games.
“We are looking for ways to not only increase our revenue streams and attendances, but also to reward the fans for their loyalty,” said WRU Group Chief Executive David Moffett.
“We realise the games against South Africa and New Zealand will be the most popular in the Autumn Series, but we also know there will be a lot of interest in seeing Wales play the Romanians and Japanese.
“That’s why we have agreed this new ticketing strategy which we hope will lead to four full houses.”
The two tier price structure will mean fans will pay £42, £39, £26 and £14 for the games against the two SANZAR nations, South Africa and New Zealand, but will be able to see the games against Romania and Japan for a maximum price of £10 and £5. Included in the price of the ticket for the games against the SANZAR teams will be a match programme and free DVD, while there will be a free match programme given to everyone who buys a ticket for the other two matches.
“We will obviously be offering the tickets to our member clubs, debenture and club seat holders in the first instance, but there will also be an initial tranche of tickets for the games against South Africa and New Zealand on public sale,” said Mr Moffett.
“In order to buy one of these the fans will have to commit to buying a ticket for either the Romanian and Japanese fixture – albeit at a reduced price of £8 or £4. The clubs and debenture holders will be offered a further reduction of £6 and £4 for these two matches, while on day sales will be £10 and £5.
“We want the Welsh team to be playing in front of full houses and to reap the benefit of the fantastic support they get from Welsh supporters. That’s why we have struck this new deal which we believe offers great incentive and value to everyone.”
In addition to the new ticketing strategy, Wales will also break new ground by playing two of their November games on Friday nights. The four-Test series will kick-off at 2.45pm on Saturday, 6 November when the Springboks return to the Welsh capital and their Sanzar rivals New Zealand will also play Wales on a Saturday afternoon – at 5.30pm on 20 November.
But the two remaining fixtures in the exciting and testing series for Mike Ruddock’s new look Wales team, against Romania and Japan, will both kick-off at 7.00pm on Friday nights. The Romanians will return for their sixth international in Wales on Friday, 12 November, while the Japanese will make their third appearance at the Millennium Stadium on Friday, 26 November following matches against Wales and Argentina at the home of Welsh sport in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
‘These four matches will offer Mike Ruddock and his Welsh team a huge challenge and we have constructed a ticketing package that we feel will ensure his sides have massive support on every occasion,’ said WRU Group Chief Executive David Moffett.
‘In conjunction with our long-standing broadcast partners BBC, we have moved two of the fixtures to Friday nights. While it will be the first time we have played Test matches on a Friday, the move follows the successful switch of Heineken Cup and Celtic League games to the 7.00pm slot.
‘But the switch is not simply centred around the demands of television. We believe that by playing these two games on Friday nights we will be able to create two more viable playing weekends for all our clubs to play Celtic League, Welsh Premiership or Lloyds TSB National League fixtures.’
2004 AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL SERIES
SATURDAY, 6 NOVEMBER – WALES V SOUTH AFRICA (Millennium Stadium, kick-off 2.45pm)
FRIDAY, 12 NOVEMBER – WALES V ROMANIA (Millennium Stadium, kick-off 7.00pm)
SATURDAY, 20 NOVEMBER – WALES V NEW ZEALAND (Millennium Stadium, kick-off 5.30pm)
FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER – WALES V JAPAN (Millennium Stadium, kick-off 7.00pm)
