WELSH RUGBY – STILL THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN

The attacking flair and great passion displayed by Gareth Thomas and his players rekindled Wales’ love affair with its national sport and has sparked an unprecedented rush for the final few WRU Jubilee Debenture seats.
 
With two mouthwatering home ties in the RBS Six Nations Championship to look forward to in the new year, when the World Cup champions England travel to the Millennium Stadium on 5 February and the Triple Crown holders Ireland follow on 19 March, fans have identified the latest debenture scheme as one of the best ways to guarantee a seat for the two sell-out games.

“It was suggested that the Welsh rugby public fell back in love with their national sport during the Autumn International series and we are receiving unprecedented levels of enquiries for new debenture seats, corporate hospitality and general tickets for Welsh matches,” said WRU chief executive David Moffett. “Debentures have served both Welsh rugby and Welsh rugby fans superbly well down the years and it is encouraging to see that people are still prepared to make a big financial commitment to the game.
 
“As well as having a lot to do with the rich promise shown by Gareth Thomas and his Welsh side, there is also the obvious attraction of coming to the world’s greatest rugby ground, the Millennium Stadium, to be part of a fantastic sporting experience.
 
“People have always told me that the Welsh rugby fans are the best in the world and what the debenture issues prove is they are 100% behind their national sport.”
 
Having seen more than 220,000 fans flock to the Millennium Stadium last month to see the games against South Africa, Romania, New Zealand and Japan, the WRU is now seeing a surge in applications for debenture seats costing £5,000 and £3,950 for a 25 year lease. Ever since the old Cardiff Arms Park was re-built in the seventies and eighties using the original, 50 year debenture scheme to underpin its funding, the sale of long-term seats at the home of Welsh rugby has played an increasingly important role in the WRU’s ticketing strategy.

So much so, there are only a handful of the Union’s latest issue, the Jubilee Debentures, remaining. There were 500 Debentures put on offer in 2002, valued at £5,000 and £3,950, and when they are all sold the issue will have raised more than £2.25m. That now looks likely to come well in advance of Wales’ opening RBS Six Nations Championship game against England at the Millennium Stadium.
 
The Jubilee Debenture scheme entitles fans to purchase a ticket in the same seat for all WRU events and an opportunity to buy tickets for a range of other events held at the stadium, including FAW matches. The investment made in purchasing a debenture is redeemable at the same value at the end of the 25 year period.

There are currently 18,600 debenture seats in the Millennium Stadium. These are currently owned by 6,800 people.

There were three issues used to help fund the first development of the old Cardiff Arms Park, which raised more than £2.5m. Since the Millennium Stadium was developed on the site of the old Arms Park, a further £25m has been raised. There were 12,673 debenture seats in the old Arms Park – 24% of the overall capacity and 31% of the seats – while the Millennium Stadium currently has 18,600 Debenture seats – 25% of its 74,600 seated capacity.

WRU DEBENTURE SCHEMES
Issue Duration No Issued Money made Cost
1969 50 yrs 7,323 £366,156 £50
1976 50 yrs 1,750 £350,000 £200*
1983 50 yrs 3,600 £1,800,000 £500*
1999 25 yrs 2,539 £11,827,500 £5000/£3750 *
1999 25 yrs 2,474 £9,772,300 £3950
1999 25 yrs 308 £1,216,600 £3950
2002 25 yrs tbc £2.163,000 £5000/£3950
* Issue to WRU Clubs only
Any enquires regarding Debentures should be directed at the WRU Debenture Officer, Alun Wynne. He can be contacted at Golate House:
02920 822 432; email awynne@wru.co.uk .