70% off Challenge Cup tickets

[TheLegendOfTexEvans]

Groupon with Challenge Cup Tickets at £15 each.

 

https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/gl-ladbrokes-challenge-cup-final

 

[Lewis]

Plan B.

Ralph earning his money already. 

[Damien]

Good old Bargain shop RFL. They should write a guide on how to completely destroy and devalue an event. There could even be a part 2 on how to annoy loyal customers and leave them feeling ripped off, thus ensuring that they never buy early again.

[Futtocks]

Groupon will have a limited number of tickets, and it's their business what they charge for them. It could make the difference for some cash-strapped fans who desperately want to be at Wembley.

[henage]

Partners a wizz at getting the best deals for accommodation / travel etc 

Discounting goes on for most stuff in todays on-line world .

Some great bargains over the years .  

[Chamey]

Also, if you're a sky member sign up to Sky VIP (you have to have been a member for at least a year), you then get entered into a ballot for Challenge Cup final tickets as well.

[barnyia]

Annoyed me a bit! Just bought tickets from Catalans shop! Paid 300 hotel 380 flights and 200 tickets plus food and airport parking ! ! It's for 4 people but still a costly weekend. 

Catalans charging a grand each for flights and night hotel, or 850 on tye train and night hotel, bus from 250 just travelling there and not stopping in London ! Catalans tours sold out, 

The French are trying but not everyone can afford the trip! 

[Rage]

Very disappointing from the RFL. How much money are they going to lose with these discounts? People won't buy tickets in advance, they'll just wait until these offers come along. 

[Northern Eel]

Interestingly, next year, if the semi-final double header remains in place, and 4 well-supported teams are involved, a market has been created whereby it would be a significant risk not to buy early. 

Whilst restricting tickets for the cup final through a smaller ground capacity might be another way of doing this, a move away from Wembley could be costly for the sport if it ever wants to go back.

So with that as it is,there is probably no other way currently to save face for this year's final. If you bought tickets early and got the seats you wanted, that's the premium you pay, I guess.  It's not as if it's a surprise there are thousands of cheap tickets knocking around a fortnight before the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley. It's been that way for over a decade.

I'd estimate there are still another 5-6k tickets to shift in the lower bowl plus a few thousand Club Wembley seats at least. Groupon won't make a massive impact on that number, and will probably only shift 500 tickets or so. My guess at sales so far? 40k.

[cookey]

No doubt if they didn't release some tickets at a discount and there were empty seats,the same rl fans who are saying it's wrong to offer discounts,would be saying it waswrong not to offer discounts - basically,the usual fans complaining which ever way the rfl reacted.

[Futtocks]

I see that it is only Category 4 adult tickets being discounted.

There's a Groupon deal for a RU match at Twickenham where they are offering discounts in every part of the stadium that's open for the game.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

3 hours ago, Damien said:

Good old Bargain shop RFL. They should write a guide on how to completely destroy and devalue an event. There could even be a part 2 on how to annoy loyal customers and leave them feeling ripped off, thus ensuring that they never buy early again.

But if this means the stadium isn't half empty that'll please some people right? 

[Northern Eel]

12 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I see that it is only Category 4 adult tickets being discounted.

There's a Groupon deal for a RU match at Twickenham where they are offering discounts in every part of the stadium that's open for the game.

Shhh. And whilst we're at it, we'd better not mention the huge swathes of empty seats at the European Championships. It's only RL who can't flog tickets....

[Damien]

23 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I see that it is only Category 4 adult tickets being discounted.

There's a Groupon deal for a RU match at Twickenham where they are offering discounts in every part of the stadium that's open for the game.

Is it for a blue chip event though like a final or even an England international?

[Futtocks]

Just now, Damien said:

Is it for a blue chip event though like a final or even an England international?

It is for a Barbarians match against Argentina, which isn't quite up there with a full international, but is traditionally a major event in the RU year.

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

It is for a Barbarians match against Argentina, which isn't quite up there with a full international, but is traditionally a major event in the RU year.

Well it's usually a hard sell in RU terms and even Barbarian matches against England struggle to get 50k at Twickenham.

[ojx]

10 hours ago, Damien said:

Well it's usually a hard sell in RU terms and even Barbarian matches against England struggle to get 50k at Twickenham.

The Barbarians concept is, unfortunately, past it's due by date in the professional sports environment. It used to be that the Barbarians were pretty close to the British Lions at home (plus a couple of extras) facing touring teams.

[Tattersfieldtreiziste]

Just bought four tickets for me and the family for £60. Can't quite believe this, I was going to go anyway to support Catalans, but just saved a load of money. I will now be able to treat them to some Batchelors mushy peas and a new Dacia Duster.

[Dave T]

I'd have thought this was the one year where drastic measures would be acceptable to fans. 

But no...

[The 4 of Us]

I note that all tickets are for collection from the ticket office prior to the game. That’s going to be fun. Hope Ralph’s going to be there with his Ladbrokes bib on, directing traffic. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Couldn't care less how much tickets are discounted as long as the ground looks full.

[Old Frightful]

Just clicked on the link and, although I've probably got i wrong again, it looks like I might get an extra 15% off with me registering with Groupon for the first time as a "Golden Hello" type thing.

If I carry on searching for discounts will the RFL eventually pay me for attending?

[Boyny]

19 hours ago, barnyia said:

Annoyed me a bit! Just bought tickets from Catalans shop! Paid 300 hotel 380 flights and 200 tickets plus food and airport parking ! ! It's for 4 people but still a costly weekend. 

Catalans charging a grand each for flights and night hotel, or 850 on tye train and night hotel, bus from 250 just travelling there and not stopping in London ! Catalans tours sold out, 

The French are trying but not everyone can afford the trip! 

Mate £220 each is about the same as I'm paying coming from York by train Friday to Sunday, match ticket, 2 nights hotel near Kings Cross .Total £200.   14 of us in our group all shouting for Catalan. Allez!

[Yorkie44]

36 minutes ago, Boyny said:

Mate £220 each is about the same as I'm paying coming from York by train Friday to Sunday, match ticket, 2 nights hotel near Kings Cross .Total £200.   14 of us in our group all shouting for Catalan. Allez!

See you in Wembley way Boyny* Bruce will be loving it! 

(If you’re the one I know )

[Damien]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

I'd have thought this was the one year where drastic measures would be acceptable to fans. 

But no...

It's not exactly a one off is it though Dave? People have warned of this year after year. I think we have probably had this same discussion many times before. They are totally destroying the Challenge Cup as a blue chip event. 

Some brands destroy millions of pounds worth of stock so that their brand isn't lessoned and diminished by falling into the hands of discount retailers. They don't want it being sold by TK Max etc al and the ensuring damage to their reputation. Any short term gain is severely outweighed by the long term irreparable damage. The RFL are the complete opposite and are trying to kid everyone by practically giving tickets away so that they can pay themselves on the back and spin the resulting crowd. Do blue chip sponsors really want to be associated with an event that practically gives its tickets away on Groupon?

The RFL are digging themselves into a bigger hole every year with their mixed up, flawed strategy and years and years of this is now leaving the RFL with absolutely no where to go. Who in their right mind is going to buy tickets for next year when the RFL send their customary 10% off email? If the RFL are left with even more tickets to shift after the semi finals next year, because no one buys early, then they only have themselves to blame.