Connacht Rugby Season Tickets & Upgrade Feedback

A specific queue on the way in for season ticket holders.
Discounted programmes
Proper supporters pack (Scarf/Beanie,Team poster,thank you letter,player guide,etc.)
Season Ticket holder event at the first home game of the season, before the match, where we all get a free drink or two and some food.
Free ticket for non-interpro game

I'm actually struggling a little bit. They deal is usually pretty good

Price will have to be dependent on what tournament we are playing in next season. Perhaps, they can price it, as if we're going to take part in the HC, and if you buy your ticket before our fate is decided, and we fail to qualify for the HC, you get the money back in vouchers for the Clan Bar/Elverys. If we dont qualify, the price should drop

Discounts, depending on how early you buy your ticket

Advanced purchase of tickets. The amount of times I've tried to get Clan Tickets for friends, and it's been sold out

Ooooh, thought of another. When purchasing your ticket, you get to select one away Interpro. The match with the most votes wins.
Then, 6 weeks to a month before that game, the branch should email all Season Ticket holders, and ask them if they can attend that game. A discounted bus/hotel/match ticket should be offered. People who reply, that they are interested, have to put down a small deposit (10euro), and the branch should organise the trip - payments needed 2/3 weeks in advance

More chartered flights to away games. Basically, they need to reach out to fans about their interest in travelling on official supporters trips

Good to see them looking for feedback.

I actually think in general the season ticket is decent value but I think they need to keep the price steady for next season. Another significant increase might force away many loyal st holders.

The main issue I see is the surcharges and the prices should be cheaper for behind the posts for people who pay at the gate.

Things like food vouchers, drink vouchers etc. are all good. The "supporters prize" this year was a waste of money for the branch. Would prefer to get nothing to that really. Priority Clan Stand tickets for big games etc. is a good idea.

I think they could link up with some more businesses in town and provide discounts for st holders. A lot of pubs do it already but some formal link up would be good I think.

The main area to be teased out imo is the kick off time. 5 on a Saturday isn't really working in terms of atmosphere anyway.

From reading the other ideas, I think that every single home game, there should be a few prizes given to season ticket holders

Basically at half time, or near the end of a game, three season ticket holder names are read out.
These three winners get some sort of prize. Be it two free tickets to the next home game, a Connacht scarf, vouchers to be used in Elverys.

Those three winners cant win anything again all season

Prizes dont need to be big.
1st prize worth 25euro
2nd prize worth 15euro
3rd prize worth 10euro

That's going to cost them 700euro a season. Season Ticket holders feel a bit more special

I dont know if it's possible, but with the scanners they use on tickets on the way in, they should know what season ticket holders are at each game, so the draw is only open to season ticket holders at the specific game

Bring back the Friday games or at least reduce the amount of Saturday games. This has made me consider not renewing as I missed quite a few this year

gaillimhabu wrote: Bring back the Friday games or at least reduce the amount of Saturday games. This has made me consider not renewing as I missed quite a few this year

I think I've mentioned this previously, but the cost in hosting Friday matches on a consistent basis is too high.
Every time they host a Friday night game, the dogs aren't able to run, and Connacht need to pay the Greyhound folk all the money for money they couldnt bring in.

Personally, I much prefer the atmosphere at Friday night games, but I live in Dublin, and is very difficult for me to ensure I get home for these games.
I know a few friends who stopped going to games when they moved to Friday nights, and haven't returned, except for big occasions.

I do think they could do something to host a few more games on Friday, especially the big matches, to help with the atmosphere. Saturday at 5 is a bad time, but it doesnt cost Connacht anywhere near the same amount.

If they could do something with the fixtures, I'd ask for a more even spread. Was it 9 home games before the schools were back in January, and only 5 home games for the rest of the season? Maybe it was 8 and 6, but that's still 8 home games in 4 months, as opposed to 6 in 5

ConnachtCows wrote:
If they could do something with the fixtures, I'd ask for a more even spread.

Home games 13/14:

Sep 3/4 (3 home of 4 in total); Oct 1/4; Nov 2/3; Dec 2/4; Jan 2/3; Feb 1/3; Mar 1/3; Apr 1/2; May 1/2.

12/13:

Sep 3/5; Oct 1/4; Nov 1/2; Dec 3/5; Jan 2/3; Feb 1/3; Mar 1/2; Apr 1/3; May 1/1.


I think it's mostly just the way the season is structured to be honest, but there's definitely an argument for having one or two fewer September home games and an extra one in October and/or Spring if that could be negotiated. With All Irelands and kids back at school and so on September attendances have been poorest of the season (both in terms of tickets sold and numbers through the gate) the last few years.

Diom wrote: There are arguments to support both to be honest, but if it is costing money to host on Friday then I suppose that will be the primary concern. At the least though they could push the Saturday KOs to half 6 or 7.

The 5pm kickoffs on Saturday already delay the dog start times so moving it later probably isn't a runner. Ideally we need nighttime kickoffs, the atmosphere is much better, but that isn't going to happen unless/until the dogtrack shuts so we'll probably have to just suck it up.

One left field thing we could try is a Sunday night fixture on a bank holiday weekend? No dogs, late kickoff, if it's midterm then kids are off but college students aren't.

For me, the Saturday 5pm kick off times are an issue - as a guy with young kids, it's just not fair to be heading off for the afternoon so often. I'd much prefer a Friday evening, and if that can't be done, the later the better on the Saturday.

Discounted pints for season ticket holders. The mark up on booze is really good, and I suspect this would actually increase revenue if the discount is appealing enough (and the clan bar can be made slightly more appealing).

Related to the above - perhaps consider doing away with the pavilion membership, and make that bar available to season ticket holders at all games. Either that, or make the clan bar better, as I said above.

Season ticket holder only entrance seems like a good idea and easy to implement.

Make the gift good or don't bother with it at all - I think they should alternate between a hat one year and a scarf the next, because people will either lose them or give them away in the meantime, but they'll always be appreciated.

Keep the price as is.

Referral scheme so season ticket holders can get a rebate if they refer a friend who buys a season ticket.

Unrelated to season tickets, but I think they should have a ladies night early in the season where women (and men dressed as women) get in free. If we can get more people to realise that the rugby is a great starting point for a night out, they might be inclined to come back.

That's all I can think of at the moment....

RonanL wrote:
Unrelated to season tickets, but I think they should have a ladies night early in the season where women (and men dressed as women) get in free.

They did a family day against ?Zebroni? (hedging my bets here) a few years back, big crowd, went down a bomb, so a ladies night is a great idea.

Ladies Night is a great idea

Work with local rugby clubs, on weekends when they dont have a match. Let the clubs have Tag Rugby blitz tournaments, with discounted entry to the Connacht match

slightly off topic of season tickets but related.

A bar coded branch issued( in conjunction with supporters club) loyalty/ membership card. This is for non season ticket holders who attend games. They purchase a mstchdsy ticket and swipe card also on entry. After say 4 paid visits they are entitled to free entry to the next cat b game. It would act as s stepping stone or bridge to becoming a season ticket and holders imo should be exempt from the surcharge.

It could be issued in conjunction with clan membership fee. Instead of 20 euro fee is 25 euro and you receive the card.