“I’d love to take my kids to a Six Nations game but there’s no way I could afford the prices”
WALES rugby fans have expressed frustration over prices for the remaining tickets for the upcoming Six Nations matches at the Principality.
When first released, ticket prices for the three games were:
Scotland – £40, £70, £100, £105 and £115
France – £40, £70, £100, £105 and £115
Italy – £30, £55, £65, £70 and £80
The cheapest two categories of tickets have sold out and the lowest available prices for the Scotland (February 12) and France (March 11) games are £100, while an Italy ticket (March 19) will set you back £65.
Tickets did not go on general sale until November 25th , after local rugby clubs were given priority access on September 15, along with premium members, personal debenture holders and official members.
Some fans are now calling for more tickets to be sold at the lower price points so more people can see the game.
Jamie Evans, 25, from Cwm-parc said: “I took my kids to the Fiji game because it was the only game I could afford to go to. I’d love to take them to a Six Nations game but there’s no way I could afford the prices.”
Wales fan Dominic Long, 29, from Bristol said: “I think the WRU are really struggling to shift tickets across the whole tournament by the looks of it. I remember 10 years ago U block tickets used to be £40, now they are £115 a ticket.”
Lee Llewellyn, 44, from Neath said: “People are struggling to put the heating on due to crazy price rises. The last thing they are going to do is pay £100 plus for a ticket. Food and heating for a week or a match ticket?
“The WRU have lost touch with reality. Okay, every business is trying to recoup, but when people can’t afford to put the heating on how do they think they are going to pay £100 for a ticket? They have completely lost touch with reality and it’s showing in terms of ticket sales.”
The importance of the home Six Nations game to the Cardiff economy was voiced by businesses earlier this year when it was feared Welsh Government Covid restrictions might mean fans weren’t allowed in the stadium for matches and the WRU was considering playing ‘home’ games across the border to maximise revenue.
Former Wales sponsor RBS estimated the 2017 Six Nations, where Wales played just two home games, brought the Welsh economy a revenue of £52m.
Ian Gareth, 45, who is originally from Cardiff, also noted the importance of the matches beyond the results on the field.
He said: “All the time the stadium continues to sell out internationals the WRU cannot be accused of pricing fans out. They are literally paying whatever the WRU are currently asking to go to matches and are filling the stadium to capacity.
“My little group of Cardiff pals go to three or four home matches a year and normally try and get to Scotland, Italy or Ireland. We use international matches as an excuse to all get together as we have drifted away from Cardiff with work.
“International rugby is more than just the rugby for us, it is about keeping in touch with old friends who I’d probably not see that often without the rugby.”
The WRU have been contacted for comment, but are yet to respond.
