Worcester Warriors
Its all about the next generation...
By Phill The Warrior
June 26 2015
On and off the field the club are clearly thinking about the long game and not just searching for a quick fix.
Last season recruitment and team selection was about blooding young talent. This was evident in the fact we reached the A League final. We even won the B&I Cup with a squad mostly made up of younger guys.
Season tickets are always a tough sell when you are set up to be a premiership team but find yourself playing in the Championship. It was no real surprise that prices were competitive and there were special deals on offer.
This week the club announced the season ticket packages for the 2015/16 season. No real shock that following promotion back to the top flight prices have increased. There will be a few with their noses put out of place due to reclassification of some seats including a platinum class. I am even expecting a few groans that not only have prices gone up, but the number of games included has gone down, thanks to the omission of the LV Cup next season. But when you look at the packages on offer I genuinely think the club have pulled off a master stroke. They are investing in the clubs future on the terraces now, not just on the training pitch.
From a personal perspective, I have 4 kids of which 2 have become regular Sixways attendees and this season the club have managed to double the number of season tickets we would have bought, how? By extending the Free U12 deal. Never in a million years did I think they would and therefore had planned to buy tickets for myself and my youngest, now rugby mad son.
As it is BOGOF we will now buy 2 adults tickets so that we get 2 free U12 tickets. By my calculations this is cracking value for money. I will be paying £600 for 56 entries to first team rugby. Even if you exclude all of the Cavs games we will go to, that works out as £10.71 per person per game. The area we sit, if bought game on game it would be £72.00 per game for us, a whopping £1,008.00 for the season. This is such good value for money by any standards! Add to this the discounts, preseason game, BBQ, Cavs games, free home travel, discounted away travel, membership of WRSC etc etc this really is a great packing for families.
The club have provided a discounted rate for the over 65’s but added another concession, young people up to 26 even get a discount now. Again, clear signs that the club are trying to build a fans base for the future.
Many of you will know that I am the good looking, fit and muscular half of @rugbyworcs and today there was a tweet to us that sadly a season ticket holder from last season will no longer be a season ticket holder, due to the reclassification of his seat:
Whilst I do feel for this guy (If you are reading this @followrugger I really do) but I think that the club and fan base are going to benefit so much from this package of season tickets that, as they say; “You can’t please all of the people all of the time…” and my advice is don’t miss out, change seats and take advantage of your £25 loyal fan discount and continue on the journey with Dean Ryan and co, that has certainly got me and my family well and truly gripped.
Let me just reiterate my point here; for the 2015/16 season my family will be watching Premiership rugby for less than £11.00 each – that’s amazing! When I first met “Our Jim” he declared that it was about time that the commercial side of the business matched the vision of the rugby side of the business. It is clear, to me, that both Worcester Warriors and the trading arm of the club are finally singing off the same hymn sheet.
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26/06/2015 21:26
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:07:23:21:15:28 by Powick Eastander.
However isn't @followrugger covered by grandfather rights on his silver ST? Therfore getting his existing seat at the silver price until the ground is redeveloped?
Yes we would all like it cheap, and even better if free, but we live in the real world and the owners are losing money. No one gets rich owning a rugby team.
Hopefully we can increase the number of ST, attract more passing supporters turn some of last year passing supporter into regular supporters this year.
Can't exactly recall the precise terms. Certainly worth a chat with the ticket office on Monday.
Therefore the poor sod above, who has been loyal for however long, won't be walloped for an extra £125, which is pretty shoddy treatment. Also, parents would be paying less for their tickets, which would compensate for the price of the kiddie's tickets.
I think this might just please "more of the people" as it were. I might be being naïve here, but surely by slashing ticket prices and using a bit of imagination, the ground would be considerably better attended and therefore there would be a commensurate increase in revenue from merchandise, food and drink, as well as a bostin atmosphere?
How can I refuse him? I won't by the way.
The point being, is that to me, this is exactly why the free U12 ticket approach is a great idea.
By the way, good post Phil.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:06:29:12:52:19 by Young Warrior.
I would agree that the prices are a little high, but that is the way the whole game has gone, many other clubs are more expensive than us, and some a little cheaper. The main reason we saw numbers fall was an extremely poor product. We have better players/coaches now so numbers will creep back up, just don't expect 10,000+ for every gameto begin wit.
I'll try and do a full survey over the next few weeks as the round of new prices are announced.
It's a balancing trick, to attract the right number of supporters and balance the books.
I like the idea of targeted discounts, with maybe further targeted discounts for certain games which we know will not be as busy.
If we get the right crowds we will expand, I for one would love to see the FragrantMad stand being expended/replaced. That will only happen when we have the right crowds.
