Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Picking your block isn’t quite specific enough as far as I’m concerned at any of the bigger grounds really, particularly behind the sticks at Old Trafford where the height makes all the difference. 

This thread has at least inspired me to create the third(!) incarnation of our RLWC WhatsApp group, so hopefully I’ll be buying a ruck of tickets before long. 

Yeah, I agree, and it is odd that there are seating plans for these grounds, so why aren't we offering this service? 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Picking your block isn’t quite specific enough as far as I’m concerned at any of the bigger grounds really, particularly behind the sticks at Old Trafford where the height makes all the difference. 

This thread has at least inspired me to create the third(!) incarnation of our RLWC WhatsApp group, so hopefully I’ll be buying a ruck of tickets before long. 

Yeah, I agree, and it is odd that there are seating plans for these grounds, so why aren't we offering this service? 

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

Did you at least get to pick your block? 

It's certainly not perfect now, but I was able to pick which block I wanted in the ground at the price I wanted. 

No I couldn't pick the block.

The graphic was much like the first picture you posted earlier. There were no £30 tickets available so we decided it was worth the £55. I think it was later on that we could state a preference of side line or behind the sticks, we'd bought tickets for the QF that should have been at Anfield and the sideline tickets were terrible for the price we picked and I'd much rather have had The Kop, but it didn't let you pick by match, so I left it blank think behind the sticks or in the corner at St James' made no real difference to me.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about paying £55 when I could no get a ticket for £30, I'm not even complaining about being behind the goal. My moan is that I clearly did not get the best available seats even though I bought early and then let them keep my money when the competition got postponed, now there are even better seats available.

[Anita Bath]

31 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

No I couldn't pick the block.

The graphic was much like the first picture you posted earlier. There were no £30 tickets available so we decided it was worth the £55. I think it was later on that we could state a preference of side line or behind the sticks, we'd bought tickets for the QF that should have been at Anfield and the sideline tickets were terrible for the price we picked and I'd much rather have had The Kop, but it didn't let you pick by match, so I left it blank think behind the sticks or in the corner at St James' made no real difference to me.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about paying £55 when I could no get a ticket for £30, I'm not even complaining about being behind the goal. My moan is that I clearly did not get the best available seats even though I bought early and then let them keep my money when the competition got postponed, now there are even better seats available.

Same for me….the reward for buying early and leaving my money with them…….

 

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

No I couldn't pick the block.

The graphic was much like the first picture you posted earlier. There were no £30 tickets available so we decided it was worth the £55. I think it was later on that we could state a preference of side line or behind the sticks, we'd bought tickets for the QF that should have been at Anfield and the sideline tickets were terrible for the price we picked and I'd much rather have had The Kop, but it didn't let you pick by match, so I left it blank think behind the sticks or in the corner at St James' made no real difference to me.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about paying £55 when I could no get a ticket for £30, I'm not even complaining about being behind the goal. My moan is that I clearly did not get the best available seats even though I bought early and then let them keep my money when the competition got postponed, now there are even better seats available.

Yeah, I get it mate, and I wasn't questioning what you were saying, just trying to understand what process they were using. 

I hate 'best available' as that means very different things to different people. 

[Dave T]

I made the comment earlier that IMG should forget structures etc. and focus on these things, and I do genuinely think there is a lot in that. The structure of the WC is great, but the customer journeys are dire. Like, really genuinely dire. 

These small things make a big impact, buying tickets for RL should be the easiest experience around. Its probably the worst experience I've had with buying tickets over the last couple of years. 

[Scubby]

18 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I made the comment earlier that IMG should forget structures etc. and focus on these things, and I do genuinely think there is a lot in that. The structure of the WC is great, but the customer journeys are dire. Like, really genuinely dire. 

These small things make a big impact, buying tickets for RL should be the easiest experience around. Its probably the worst experience I've had with buying tickets over the last couple of years. 

What about the 2016 4 Nations when you couldn't even buy half way upper tier at the Olympic Stadium for the Australia game? I even phoned the RFL and argued the toss as the only tickets available at the time were behind the posts. I was told they will only open them if the demand is there. They had got 43k at the same stadium the previous November FFS. It just baffles me. 

[Chris22]

A couple of comments from Jon Dutton on ticket prices...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2022 by Chris22

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Yeah, I get it mate, and I wasn't questioning what you were saying, just trying to understand what process they were using. 

I hate 'best available' as that means very different things to different people. 

 

3 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

No I couldn't pick the block.

The graphic was much like the first picture you posted earlier. There were no £30 tickets available so we decided it was worth the £55. I think it was later on that we could state a preference of side line or behind the sticks, we'd bought tickets for the QF that should have been at Anfield and the sideline tickets were terrible for the price we picked and I'd much rather have had The Kop, but it didn't let you pick by match, so I left it blank think behind the sticks or in the corner at St James' made no real difference to me.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about paying £55 when I could no get a ticket for £30, I'm not even complaining about being behind the goal. My moan is that I clearly did not get the best available seats even though I bought early and then let them keep my money when the competition got postponed, now there are even better seats available.

It was a similar process when tickets first went on sale for the Women’s Euros where you just picked the price category and it was ‘dressed’ from there on in.

However, once tickets were on general sale, then you could pick your exact seat which is really where we should be now.

That said, I’ve been to enough RL events where the ticket purchased has no relevance to what you end up with. Opening game in 2013 at Cardiff there were 15+ of us who were arriving separately but had bought seats together so that we could meet up in the ground. Upon our staggered entries we were then shifted around to literally the opposite side of the stadium and ended up scattered all over the place in separate groups  

[Dave T]

Absolute weasel words from Dutton. 

But the question needed to be asked, will pricing change for other games too. If justification is that times are tough, then they will also be tough for the other games. 

[gingerjon]

I think Dutton would have done better not to reply than come up with that.

It's proper marketing speak that might make sense internally but doesn't really play well with anyone outside the organisation.

I doubt it will matter in the scheme of things but it's not great.

[Spidey]

12 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think Dutton would have done better not to reply than come up with that.

It's proper marketing speak that might make sense internally but doesn't really play well with anyone outside the organisation.

I doubt it will matter in the scheme of things but it's not great.

You say it best when you say nothing at all - Ronan Keeting 1999

(I know it’s probably a cover )

[Dave T]

56 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think Dutton would have done better not to reply than come up with that.

It's proper marketing speak that might make sense internally but doesn't really play well with anyone outside the organisation.

I doubt it will matter in the scheme of things but it's not great.

In reality, the best thing would have to have done a 'relaunch' of tickets, explaining that they have listened to fans and due to the cost of living crisis they have released more lower priced tickets - but that needed to be across the tournament and the process around anyone unhappy or who bought early explained clearly.

They could have spun this more positively and had it as a sales lever. They could even have come up with a 'reward' for anyone who had previously bought - a hat, scarf, or even a free ticket for another match or similar.... 

[Scubby]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

I think Dutton would have done better not to reply than come up with that.

It's proper marketing speak that might make sense internally but doesn't really play well with anyone outside the organisation.

I doubt it will matter in the scheme of things but it's not great.

Dutton is at the RFL for a reason. He is small time and his track record of the 2016 4N wasn't great (Australia v Scotland with 5k at Hull KR FFS). 

The problem is that any setback has the organisation running into retreat mode. Fans like me can smell it a mile off and will wait it out and pick up bargain tickets. It's their job to make my choice for me by making it compelling to buy early.

I used to do that many years ago, they broke my habit by stinging me too many times.

[glossop saint]

Are they still limiting the number of final tickets you can buy in one go to 6? I bought early on for a selection of games for up to 8 people depending on the game. 7 wanted to go to the final. Unfortunately I could only buy 6 for the final. I think it was also 'best available' as well so I don't know the seats to then add a 7th person at a later date on the end of our row. I'm sure there are reasons for it but it is disappointing.

[gingerjon]

59 minutes ago, Dave T said:

In reality, the best thing would have to have done a 'relaunch' of tickets, explaining that they have listened to fans and due to the cost of living crisis they have released more lower priced tickets - but that needed to be across the tournament and the process around anyone unhappy or who bought early explained clearly.

They could have spun this more positively and had it as a sales lever. They could even have come up with a 'reward' for anyone who had previously bought - a hat, scarf, or even a free ticket for another match or similar.... 

Agree with all that.

A part of me is going, "This isn't a bad strategy, but sneaking it out by redrawing the seating chart and not telling anyone is a really odd way of going about it."

[The Rocket]

28 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Dutton is at the RFL for a reason. He is small time and his track record of the 2016 4N wasn't great (Australia v Scotland with 5k at Hull KR FFS). 

The problem is that any setback has the organisation running into retreat mode. Fans like me can smell it a mile off and will wait it out and pick up bargain tickets. It's their job to make my choice for me by making it compelling to buy early.

I used to do that many years ago, they broke my habit by stinging me too many times.

A couple of weeks ago they were telling us that they still had 75 % of their advertising budget left for a big push towards the tournament beginning. It seems very odd that they couldn`t hold their nerve and see how that panned out.

I`m refusing to even contemplate this tournament not being a success but it is certainly odd.

[Scubby]

14 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

A couple of weeks ago they were telling us that they still had 75 % of their advertising budget left for a big push towards the tournament beginning. It seems very odd that they couldn`t hold their nerve and see how that panned out.

I`m refusing to even contemplate this tournament not being a success but it is certainly odd.

The rugby and colour will generate a huge buzz and will sell lots of tickets. Rugby League fans in the UK are always late to the party. However, when you create that buzz the price point has to be attractive enough to get that casual fine over the line to buy a ticket.

As some have mentioned, it is 2022 it should be the easiest experience ever. But it is not, clunky and disjointed from reality in terms of pricing.

[MattSantos]

15 hours ago, MattSantos said:

I might now actually go to Newcastle. 

 

Just tried to look at tickets. Website doesn't let me log on.

Sigh

[Mattrhino]

11 hours ago, Dave T said:

Absolute weasel words from Dutton. 

But the question needed to be asked, will pricing change for other games too. If justification is that times are tough, then they will also be tough for the other games. 

We all knew the ticket prices were too high no one is going to pay £110, £85 for a game of RL even the Cat C prices of £55 are a bit rich for my blood as a big RL fan.

Who is paying £70 to go to Headingley. 

It will be rammed in the cheapest seats with nobody in the higher categories.

We have complained for years on here about RL selling itself to cheap but they have are way off the mark here. With the cost of living crisis its going to he a disaster.

Just put all tickets to £30 now and just eat humble pie i say.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, MattSantos said:

Just tried to look at tickets. Website doesn't let me log on.

Sigh

if you had an RLWC window already opened, you may be in that loop that I moan about all the time. 

Try and close everything down and open a new window. It's an absolute joke. People wanting to buy tickets can't.

[MattSantos]

I'm in. 

Why is that you can only select a block rather than an actual seat?

I have to wait anyway as the train tickets arent on sale yet. 

 

[Dave T]

22 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

I'm in. 

Why is that you can only select a block rather than an actual seat?

I have to wait anyway as the train tickets arent on sale yet. 

 

Because RL authorities hate its fans. Its genuinely the only conclusion that makes sense! 

[MattSantos]

35 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Because RL authorities hate its fans. Its genuinely the only conclusion that makes sense! 

I've emailed to ask. Really curious to know now. 

Emirates semi. Premium tickets at oevr 100 GBP could either be on the 1st row which would be awful or at the very back of the block which would be much better; same goes but conversely for the blocks at the back of a stand. 1st row is great, last row would be terrible.

I'd like to know before making a gamble..

Whilst the NFL tickets this year were a shambles in terms of touts etc, the actual method of selecting seats was lovely.

 

 

 

[Chris22]

I bought £85 tickets for the World Cup Final last year as £60 tickets were showing as "unavailable".

Having checked again, there are now £60 seats free, arguably better than the ones I've purchased and certainly better on my wallet!

It's not going to stop me going to future events but I do feel like I've had my fingers burned. A lesson learned for me here is to hang fire!