A new, interactive, WRU ‘experiential’ trailer has been on the road all summer and is currently located in North Wales where development officers are running regular practical rugby sessions in the Leisure Area on the Maes and visitors can sample the latest offerings from the official WRU Supporters Club, Rugby Stars and access official merchandise.
Tickets for Wales 2013 Dove Men Series clashes with South Africa, Argentina, Tonga and Australia at the Millennium Stadium have been selling in their thousands on a weekly basis since first going on public sale at the end of last month.
The reigning RBS 6 Nations Champions of 2012 and 2013 face the Springboks in Cardiff on Saturday 9th November (KO 5.30pm), the Pumas arrive a week later for a Saturday afternoon Kick-off (2.30pm) before Tonga come to town on Friday 22nd (7.30pm) and finally the Wallabies on Saturday 30th November (5.00pm).
And now the WRU’s new state-of-the-art travelling store and information point which will be visiting all the big festivals in Wales over the next few months, is ensuring that rugby fans at the biggest festival in the country this summer can come and join the party.
After a week-long stay on site of the Royal Welsh, the trailer arrived in Denbighshire on Monday and the WRU is expecting regular visits from international players to its North Wales base at surprise intervals later this week.
The trailer also gives pride of place to the RBS 6 Nations trophy, retained by Wales last season after the 2012 Grand Slam the year before, and fans are encouraged to visit to get their pictures taken with the prize silverware.
To complete the set, on the 10 August the WRU trailer will visit the Bedwas festival before appearing on site at the Pembrokeshire show from 13th – 15th August.
The WRU has noticed a huge upsurge in interest in tickets since the dramatic climax of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Tickets to see Warren Gatland’s Wales face the Wallabies in Cardiff have been particularly popular since that fourth fixture was added to the calendar, but it is that first up Prince William Cup meeting with the Springboks which will set the tone for the Autumn:
“It will be great for the team to be back at the Millennium Stadium, in front of their home fans and to return to the scene in which they clinched the RBS 6 Nations title earlier this year,” said returning Wales head coach Gatland, who sat out the majority of the 2012/13 international season whilst on secondment with the Lions.
“This autumn we welcome three Rugby Championship sides as well as Tonga to Cardiff for what will be a testing series. South Africa, Australia and Argentina will arrive in the UK on top form off the back of the Rugby Championship and they will be looking to make a mark against us as the Six Nations Champions.
“We have always thrived on testing ourselves against the best and we will be doing that again in November and it will be ideal preparation going into the Six Nations early next year.
“We have had some big battles against South Africa and Australia particularly in recent times, pushing them close last summer and losing in the final minute in Cardiff last autumn.
“It is another chance for us to lay down a marker and for the returning British and Irish Lions to pick up from where they left off this summer.”
Wales provided 16 players to the successful British and Irish Lions squad which toured down under this summer, and seven members of the back room staff including Gatland, Rob Howley and Neil Jenkins.
Elsewhere in excess of 100 players represented Wales on the international scene this summer, if you add the Lions tour to Wales’ tour of Japan, the Women’s squads outings, the U20s – who reached the World Championship final – and the sevens team who made a valiant attempt to defend their RSWC title in Russia.
The challenge now is to bring that success on the road back to Cardiff in a typically tough series of Autumn matches which will be a mouth-watering prospect for Welsh rugby fans.
“All our indications are that fans are desperate to see those Welsh Lions compete in Welsh colours at the Millennium Stadium,” said WRU head of sales and marketing Craig Maxwell.
“The fixture with the Springboks has the potential to turn into a real home-coming for not just those Lions heroes but also for Warren Gatland.
“After the opener the Pumas are the next of the Southern Hemisphere powers to test themselves against the side which has lost just one match in the last two years of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.
“Then the tough tackling Tongans are in town for Friday night rugby which is priced to attract a family audience.
“Finally the Wallabies will bring all the drama and romance associated with a re-match against the large Welsh contingent of the successful 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Cardiff on the final Saturday in November.”
Tickets are also available online at www.wru.co.uk/tickets
Wales Dove Men Series 2013:
Wales v South Africa – Saturday, 9 November, Kick-Off 5.30pm – £70 / £60 / £40 / £25
Wales v Argentina – Saturday, 16 November, Kick-Off 2.30pm – £40 / £30 / £10 concession (U16) /£70 Family ticket 2 adults + 2 concession
Wales v Tonga – Friday, 22 November, Kick-Off 7.30pm – £25 / £10 concession/ £60 Family ticket 2 adult + 2 concession / Minis/Juniors/Schools offer, with every 8 concessions purchased 2 adult tickets free
Wales v Australia – Saturday, 30 November, Kick-Off 5.00pm – £70 / £60 / £40 / £25 Ends
