Sport

Clubs can re-sell Wales tickets with new scheme

Published

9 years ago

January 8, 2016

WRU1 THE WELSH RUGBY UNION and Ticketmaster, a Live Nation Entertainment company, have recently launched an initiative to create an official secondary market of international ticket sales by member clubs and the public to supporters.
The WRU has agreed the terms of a ground-breaking new deal, appointing Ticketmaster’s resale business, Seatwave, as the official ticket resale marketplace of rugby tickets for Welsh international matches at Principality Stadium – with more details and access to tickets available here: http://www. seatwave.com/wru
Under the terms of the arrangement the WRU will allow a limited number of tickets to be resold above face value by clubs via Seatwave, with clubs then allowed to retain any extra money raised through the sales.
There will be no restrictions placed on debenture holders, supporters’ club members or members of the public when reselling tickets via Seatwave, but all parties will benefit from the verification process on offer.
The WRU and Seatwave will seek to advise on pricing providing guidance to clubs and sellers over the prices to be charged, communicating average listing and selling prices.
The tickets resold will be verified by the Union and then re-issued to the buyer via the WRU Ticket Office. This verification process will ensure ticket buyers can be as confident buying resold tickets on the official marketplace as buying a ticket direct from the WRU.
Also under the terms of the arrangement all supporters will be informed, at the point of sale, of face value tickets if they are available.
As part of the agreement, the WRU, which allocated more than £22m back into Welsh rugby in the last financial year, has agreed that Ticketmaster will invest in the game in Wales.
The WRU has presented details of the new secondary market to member clubs through the district committees and the WRU Board has approved the initiative.
“Within the spirit of the new arrangement the WRU will actively promote the means of obtaining face value tickets so that they are always offered to customers if available,” said Craig Maxwell, WRU Group Head of Sales and Marketing.
“It remains the priority of the WRU to encourage supporters to obtain tickets directly from their local club at face value.
“However, we have chosen to review our position on the use of a secondary market for selling tickets following many years of trying to regulate secondary ticketing sites.
“In this time many sporting bodies have actually seen an increase in the use of secondary ticketing and supporters of the WRU and clubs have been and are continuing to use the secondary market to obtain tickets for Welsh international matches.
“The WRU have taken the decision to follow supporter demands and provide a service that is clearly being used already, but with the guaranteed safety and security for the ticket purchaser that only the WRU can offer.
“Supporters know that when they are using Seatwave, the tickets are genuine and they are guaranteed to see the match.
“We are pleased to be able to work with Ticketmaster, our long-standing ticketing partner, to offer a safe and secure secondary marketplace with an integrated verification process.
“This new arrangement seeks to protect supporters and promote our clubs as the primary sources for tickets to Welsh rugby matches and ensuring further investment into community clubs.”
Commenting on the agreement, Adam Newsam, Managing Director of Ticketmaster Sport, said: “This is a unique partnership that will benefit Welsh rugby, clubs and fans alike, as well as the grass-roots game.
“It’s a credit to the WRU that they have actively engaged with resale recognising the growing demand among fans to buy and sell tickets with confidence.
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the WRU on this innovative market-based response to the challenges and opportunities around ticket resale.
“Their fans will be offered greater choice, flexibility and protection, whilst at the same time the WRU will obtain a greater level of insight and influence on the ticket resale sector for their matches.
“This forward-looking approach to ticket resale will deliver real benefits for the game, and keeps the revenue within the sport and will eradicate the risk of fraud for verified ticket sales.”
Welsh Rugby fans can access the official ticket resale platform online at http://www.seatwave.com/wru. For more information, fans should follow Welsh Rugby Union and Seatwave on social media.

Sport

Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

4 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.