Lions 2013 Ticket Information

[garryowen2323]

I thought this deserved a thread of it's own. Some information for those travelling Down Under next year (and not with the tour companies!).....................

A full breakdown of ticket prices and where they can be purchased for each of the six tour matches and three Test matches in Australia is below.

WESTERN FORCE v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Patersons Stadium, Perth, WA Wednesday, 5 June, 2013
Platinum	$70.00
Gold	$60.00
Silver – Adult	$50.00
Silver - Concession	$33.00
Silver - Child	$25.00
Silver – Family*	$100.00
Bronze – Adult	$30.00
Bronze - Concession	$20.00
Bronze – Child	$15.00
Bronze – Family*	$60.00

Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

QUEENSLAND REDS v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD Saturday, 8 June, 2013
Platinum	$65.00
Gold	$45.00
Silver – Adult	$29.00
Silver - Concession	$24.00
Silver - Child	$24.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

COMBINED NSW/QLD COUNTRY v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, NSW Wednesday, 12 June, 2013
Gold	$40.00
Silver – Adult	$30.00
Silver - Concession	$20.00
Silver - Child	$15.00
Silver – Family*	$60.00
Bronze – Adult	$15.00
Bronze - Concession	$10.00
Bronze – Child	$8.00
Bronze – Family*	$30.00

Tickets from www.proticket.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

NSW WARATAHS v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW Saturday, 15 June, 2013
Platinum	$58.00
Gold	$44.00
Silver – Adult	$30.00
Silver - Concession	$20.00
Silver - Child	$15.00
Silver – Family*	$75.00
Bronze – Adult	$20.00
Bronze - Concession	$15.00
Bronze – Child	$10.00
Bronze – Family*	$50.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

ACT BRUMBIES v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Canberra Stadium, Canberra, ACT Tuesday, 18 June, 2013
Gold	$58.00
Silver – Adult	$45.00
Silver - Concession	$38.00
Silver - Child	$23.00
Silver – Family*	$128.00
Bronze – Adult	$24.00
Bronze - Concession	$19.00
Bronze – Child	$11.00
Bronze – Family*	$59.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

QANTAS WALLABIES v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, QLD Saturday, 22 June, 2013
Platinum	$295.00
Gold	$235.00
Silver – Adult	$175.00
Silver - Concession	$114.00
Silver - Child	$88.00
Silver – Family*	$395.00
Bronze – Adult	$95.00
Bronze - Concession	$62.00
Bronze – Child	$48.00
Bronze – Family*	$215.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

MELBOURNE REBELS v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
AAMI Park, Melbourne, VIC Tuesday, 25 June, 2013
Platinum	$68.00
Gold	$53.00
Silver – Adult	$40.00
Silver - Concession	$35.00
Silver - Child	$15.00
Silver – Family*	$95.00
Bronze – Adult	$25.00
Bronze - Concession	$20.00
Bronze – Child	$10.00
Bronze – Family*	$60.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

QANTAS WALLABIES v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, VIC Saturday, 29 June, 2013
Platinum	$295.00
Gold	$235.00
Silver – Adult	$175.00
Silver - Concession	$114.00
Silver - Child	$88.00
Silver – Family*	$395.00
Bronze – Adult	$95.00
Bronze - Concession	$62.00
Bronze – Child	$48.00
Bronze – Family*	$215.00

Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

QANTAS WALLABIES v THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS
ANZ Stadium, Sydney, NSW Saturday, 6 July, 2013
Platinum	$295.00
Gold	$235.00
Silver – Adult	$175.00
Silver - Concession	$114.00
Silver - Child	$88.00
Silver – Family*	$395.00
Bronze – Adult	$95.00
Bronze - Concession	$62.00
Bronze – Child	$48.00
Bronze – Family*	$215.00

Tickets from www.ticketek.com.au from 9:00am (local time) Monday 18 February 2013.

*Family ticket is 2 adults & 2 children OR 1 adult, 3 children (total of 4 people)
Child must be 4 - 16 yrs inclusive. 3 years and under are free if they sit on your knee.

[fitzy73]

Cat A tickets €250 (£200).... Ouch.

[garryowen2323]

Cat A tickets €250 (£200).... Ouch.

By comparison:

• 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in New Zealand ranged from $150 to $380;
• 2013 AFL grand final tickets will be priced from $176.50 to $390;
• 2003 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in Australia were priced from $95 to $295; and
• 2005 Lions Tour Test tickets in New Zealand were priced from $80 for some matches and up to $300 for the three Tests between the All Blacks and the Lions.

[Kevin77]

Living in Perth so if anyone needs any advice happy to help

[garryowen2323]

Living in Perth so if anyone needs any advice happy to help

Likewise with Sydney or with anything to do with tickets, match info, pre match entertainment, special events being organised by ARU or any of that for any of the games

[Kevin77]

Likewise with Sydney or with anything to do with tickets, match info, pre match entertainment, special events being organised by ARU or any of that for any of the games

Fantastic. I'm heading to Sydney for the third test. Can't wait

[garryowen2323]

Fantastic. I'm heading to Sydney for the third test. Can't wait

Just drop me a PM if yourself or anyone else for the matter needs info or help

[Horsey87]

Me and a few friends are heading down and hoping to get to the three tests and the Melbourne rebels game. Just wondering is there any way to get tickets without going through a tour operator? Apparently they are only available on ticketmaster for people living in Australia?

[garryowen2323]

Me and a few friends are heading down and hoping to get to the three tests and the Melbourne rebels game. Just wondering is there any way to get tickets without going through a tour operator? Apparently they are only available on ticketmaster for people living in Australia?

Yeah public sale only available to those with an Aussie address. If you know any ex-pats living in Oz I'd try avail of their services! Otherwise all UK & Ireland fans are to go through official tour operators.

[garryowen2323]

Last chance to buy tickets (must have an Aussie address) this morning http://www.rugby.com.au/lions2013/Ti...g/default.html

[NotreDameRFC]

One for plastic paddy

Lions tickets all sold out in 15mins

[the plastic paddy]

One for plastic paddy

Lions tickets all sold out in 15mins

No one doubts the Southern Hemisphere uses the Lions as their cash cow. Go onto green and gold and you will read many posts from disgruntled diggers about the massive price of lions tickets. Sanzar are enthusiastic propagandists for the whole exercise because it pays the bills. The odd Aussie who doesn't follow the party line questions whether the Lions masks the underlying ill health of union in Aus.

[the plastic paddy]

Yeah public sale only available to those with an Aussie address. If you know any ex-pats living in Oz I'd try avail of their services! Otherwise all UK & Ireland fans are to go through official tour operators.

So they can squeeze ever more cash out of the franchise!

[NotreDameRFC]

No one doubts the Southern Hemisphere uses the Lions as their cash cow. Go onto green and gold and you will read many posts from disgruntled diggers about the massive price of lions tickets. Sanzar are enthusiastic propagandists for the whole exercise because it pays the bills. The odd Aussie who doesn't follow the party line questions whether the Lions masks the underlying ill health of union in Aus.

A bit of a stretch for him.to say a tour once every 12 years masks the ill health of union in Australia.

[the plastic paddy]

A bit of a stretch for him.to say a tour once every 12 years masks the ill health of union in Australia.

Well they will miss it when it is gone!!!!

[garryowen2323]

No one doubts the Southern Hemisphere uses the Lions as their cash cow. Go onto green and gold and you will read many posts from disgruntled diggers about the massive price of lions tickets. Sanzar are enthusiastic propagandists for the whole exercise because it pays the bills. The odd Aussie who doesn't follow the party line questions whether the Lions masks the underlying ill health of union in Aus.

I can tell you now that SANZAR have absolutely zero input or output from the Lions tour. Just a quick price comparison with equal sporting events................

Adults’ prices start at $95 for a Bronze category ticket, moving to $175 for Silver, $235 for Gold and $295 for Platinum.

By comparison:

• 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in New Zealand ranged from $150 to $380;
• 2013 AFL grand final tickets will be priced from $176.50 to $390;
• 2003 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in Australia were priced from $95 to $295; and
• 2005 Lions Tour Test tickets in New Zealand were priced from $80 for some matches and up to $300 for the three Tests between the All Blacks and the Lions.

[Kevin77]

Got mine for the second test in Melbourne and third test in Sydney. Cannot wait.

[the plastic paddy]

I can tell you now that SANZAR have absolutely zero input or output from the Lions tour. Just a quick price comparison with equal sporting events................

Adults’ prices start at $95 for a Bronze category ticket, moving to $175 for Silver, $235 for Gold and $295 for Platinum.

By comparison:

• 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in New Zealand ranged from $150 to $380;
• 2013 AFL grand final tickets will be priced from $176.50 to $390;
• 2003 Rugby World Cup quarter final tickets in Australia were priced from $95 to $295; and
• 2005 Lions Tour Test tickets in New Zealand were priced from $80 for some matches and up to $300 for the three Tests between the All Blacks and the Lions.

How do the prices compare to a tri nations/ championship game? Obviously the laws of supply and demand are in play and that is how the price is decided. The point is who gets the money from the ticket sales? And if,as I suspect, it is the hosts of the tours then that would explain why the Sanzar nations are unlikely to be unenthusiastic about the whole exercise. My point really is that for all the 'romanticism' etc of the thing it's popularity among administrators stems from its massive financial return. EDIT and as I have made clear I think Irish rugby can ill afford our best players getting injured playing for province and country without adding an extra tier of competition which is, by its very nature, bound to be inexorably more attritional. It seems crazy to have a player management system in operation for Cian Healy which prevents his playing for Leinster, managed by an IRFU employee as they are, then say at the end of a long season here you go Rowntree, Gatland and Edwards have Irish rugby's one best in the world in his position player, you can play him in ten games in five weeks should you so wish. Now they probably won't play him in ten games but if he plays 7 in 5 that is still more than his body is used to and that is before you even factor in the 'legendary' intensity of the training ground.

[garryowen2323]

How do the prices compare to a tri nations/ championship game? Obviously the laws of supply and demand are in play and that is how the price is decided. The point is who gets the money from the ticket sales? And if,as I suspect, it is the hosts of the tours then that would explain why the Sanzar nations are unlikely to be unenthusiastic about the whole exercise. My point really is that for all the 'romanticism' etc of the thing it's popularity among administrators stems from its massive financial return. EDIT and as I have made clear I think Irish rugby can ill afford our best players getting injured playing for province and country without adding an extra tier of competition which is, by its very nature, bound to be inexorably more attritional. It seems crazy to have a player management system in operation for Cian Healy which prevents his playing for Leinster, managed by an IRFU employee as they are, then say at the end of a long season here you go Rowntree, Gatland and Edwards have Irish rugby's one best in the world in his position player, you can play him in ten games in five weeks should you so wish. Now they probably won't play him in ten games but if he plays 7 in 5 that is still more than his body is used to and that is before you even factor in the 'legendary' intensity of the training ground.

Firstly, I thought you meant SANZAR the entity benefited financially. Apologies for my misinterpretation. Most of the ticket revenue goes to the host union after a proportion is given to the stadiums.

Secondly, It is unfair to compare once every 12 years tickets prices to an annual event like the Rugby Championship.

Thirdly, I can understand from a fan's point of view not wanting our top players to be going due to the amount of games in a short period and possible injuries. But for a player, to be called up to the Lions is the pinnacle and ultimate honour.

[Kevin77]

Personally I don't understand fans that don't want our players going on Lions tours (I respect your right to have a different opinion). It's a little bit like supporters in soccer that don't want their team to spend 30 million pounds on a player. At the end of the day, i just want to see good rugby and despite some of the Lions disasters (most of NZ in 05) there have been plenty of really enjoyable days.

I cannot wait to see how Healy goes playing with the best players selected from ireland, england, scotland and wales. We are very quick to talk up which of our players are 'world class'. Every four years we get a chance to actually test this out. I know the world cup is meant to test it but really if our players can edge past the best players in their position for the Lions and then performa away to the All Blacks, Wallabies or Boks over 3 tests and warm ups then we can really say they are great.

[sewa]

Kevin have you considered that most of them are taking the piss

[the plastic paddy]

Firstly, I thought you meant SANZAR the entity benefited financially. Apologies for my misinterpretation. Most of the ticket revenue goes to the host union after a proportion is given to the stadiums.

Secondly, It is unfair to compare once every 12 years tickets prices to an annual event like the Rugby Championship.

Thirdly, I can understand from a fan's point of view not wanting our top players to be going due to the amount of games in a short period and possible injuries. But for a player, to be called up to the Lions is the pinnacle and ultimate honour.

And none of the money goes to the home unions although it is our players who are making the greatest sacrifice and are bound to be the more susceptible to injury playing at the end of a long season on completely alien pitches.

As I said it is down to supply and demand like any other price so something that happens once every twelve years is bound to be much more expensive.

In terms of the honour of playing for the lions, I don't doubt that the players want to be part of it although I suspect that even if some didn't want to they would be unlikely to say so because the peer pressure and potential vilification at the hands of the media would be too great a concern.

As for Kevin 77's point, we play the SH nations one on one most years; does that not give us a chance to see whether the players are world class? Did beating Australia in the RWC in the southern hemisphere not show that Healy is capable of playing at that level? Maybe being on a lions team that beats one of the southern hemisphere teams is regarded as more of a challenge for a world class player because the likelihood of getting injured is so much greater than when the player is involved with his home team? Could it be that making the Lions team is as much down to being lucky enough to get through the 'legendarily' brutal selection process unscathed, as rugby ability? Could this be the reason why the tour is historically so unsuccessful?

[Viigand]

For me the Lions Tour is up there as probably the best series in World Rugby, I would prefer it to a 6N tournament every time.

[the plastic paddy]

For me the Lions Tour is up there as probably the best series in World Rugby, I would prefer it to a 6N tournament every time.

And, of course, you are perfectly entitled to that opinion. Personally (leaving aside the HC because you can have both) I would say the Irish Grand slam tops everything apart from the ultimate which would be winning the RWC, something which I think the Lions makes considerably harder for the British nations and Ireland. Some people think that Ireland winning the RWC is impossible but, being the positive person I am, I disagree. However, losing the players we do to injuries sustained on Lions tours, stretches even my delusional optimism!!

[Aussiedub]

And none of the money goes to the home unions although it is our players who are making the greatest sacrifice and are bound to be the more susceptible to injury playing at the end of a long season on completely alien pitches.

As I said it is down to supply and demand like any other price so something that happens once every twelve years is bound to be much more expensive.

In terms of the honour of playing for the lions, I don't doubt that the players want to be part of it although I suspect that even if some didn't want to they would be unlikely to say so because the peer pressure and potential vilification at the hands of the media would be too great a concern.

As for Kevin 77's point, we play the SH nations one on one most years; does that not give us a chance to see whether the players are world class? Did beating Australia in the RWC in the southern hemisphere not show that Healy is capable of playing at that level? Maybe being on a lions team that beats one of the southern hemisphere teams is regarded as more of a challenge for a world class player because the likelihood of getting injured is so much greater than when the player is involved with his home team? Could it be that making the Lions team is as much down to being lucky enough to get through the 'legendarily' brutal selection process unscathed, as rugby ability? Could this be the reason why the tour is historically so unsuccessful?

Each of the 4Nations makes about 1m from the tour so it more than covers...

[the plastic paddy]

Each of the 4Nations makes about 1m from the tour so it more than covers...

How much are/ did the injuries to Ferris, POC, Kearney, Fitzgerald, BOD etc costing/ cost on a purely fiscal basis? And that is before you even factor in where those players might be in terms of career were they not to have suffered the injuries, and where they might have taken Ireland. As an example, Ferris hardly played with SOB and Heaslip prior to the RWC because of Ferris' constant injuries, where might we have got if they had played more together? 'What ifs' I grant you but the Lions throws a lot more 'what ifs' into the equation because the risk of injury is greater.

[Aussiedub]

How much are/ did the injuries to Ferris, POC, Kearney, Fitzgerald, BOD etc costing/ cost on a purely fiscal basis? And that is before you even factor in where those players might be in terms of career were they not to have suffered the injuries, and where they might have taken Ireland. As an example, Ferris hardly played with SOB and Heaslip prior to the RWC because of Ferris' constant injuries, where might we have got if they had played more together? 'What ifs' I grant you but the Lions throws a lot more 'what ifs' into the equation because the risk of injury is greater.

and how many of them have been seriously injured outside of the Lions....everyone and have missed huge amounts of time not due to hte Lions.

[the plastic paddy]

and how many of them have been seriously injured outside of the Lions....everyone and have missed huge amounts of time not due to hte Lions.

I don't want players getting injured at all but injuries are an inevitable part of playing for the provinces and the national team. But I do not think we can afford, with the limited resources we have, to lose players to Lions injuries as well. EDIT, the other question is whether or not the players would nave picked up subseqent injuries if they had not been involved with the Lions? Impossible to ascertain of course so I would suggest the best course of action would be to not take the risk in the first place.

[garryowen2323]

And none of the money goes to the home unions although it is our players who are making the greatest sacrifice and are bound to be the more susceptible to injury playing at the end of a long season on completely alien pitches. I was talking ticket sales alone. The Lions entity more than compensate the unions financially for using their players

As for Kevin 77's point, we play the SH nations one on one most years; does that not give us a chance to see whether the players are world class? Did beating Australia in the RWC in the southern hemisphere not show that Healy is capable of playing at that level? Maybe being on a lions team that beats one of the southern hemisphere teams is regarded as more of a challenge for a world class player because the likelihood of getting injured is so much greater than when the player is involved with his home team? Could it be that making the Lions team is as much down to being lucky enough to get through the 'legendarily' brutal selection process unscathed, as rugby ability? Could this be the reason why the tour is historically so unsuccessful? Personally I think the tour is historically unsuccessful due to the nature of playing a team who have been training/playing together for up to 4-6 years. The Lions, regardless of individual talent are a team thrown together from scratch. Beating one of the 3 world superpowers from scratch is very difficult to do. The RWC game was a true test for players like Healy to prove themselves at the top level. Unfortunately many times when we play the southern hemisphere teams they aren't at full strength

Also some of those players you mentioned have been unlucky outside Lions injuries (POC), had injury problems besides the Lions (BOD, Ferris I'm sure the Lions trip didn't help these injuries but injuries aren't solely down to Lions Tour) and Kearney went on to win European Player of the Year since

[the plastic paddy]

On the compensation to the unions thing: if we take AD's figure of one million a tour that is three million per full cycle. I would suggest that any one of the three sanzar nations would make considerably more than three million. My reason for highlighting the financial side of the tour is to belie this great myth that the Lions is some uber gallant, honourable return to the spirit of the 1920s. It is now a hard nosed business arrangement largely controlled by the hardest nosed businessman of the lot in Rupert Murdoch. You only have to watch a game covered by Sky and listen to the constant upselling of the Lions to realise that this is far from a Corinthian exercise.

I think your other two points are one and the same myself. No one can prove the extent to which the Lions affects the future injury profile of any player in a positive or negative respect. However, I would suggest that the Lions is, by its very nature, more likely to lead to short/ medium term injury than a tour for your home country so on the balance of probability you would say that it is quite likely to weaken a player in the longer term.

On the rarity of NH V SH matches being played with SH teams at full strength, the same applies to NH teams as well. Maybe if we used the Lions tour summer as a summer off for the top players we might find that the extra rest stood to them in the other three years when tours of the SH could take place with teams that are properly competitive and vice versa!!

The central point is that injuries are an inevitable part of rugby. However, the nature of a lions tour, the elements that are often highlighted as the things that make the exercise so 'special', means that it is inevitable that more injuries will occur. I simply do not think that Ireland has a big enough pool of players to allow our very best players to face that extra tier of rugby, laced with injury risk as it is, without it having a profound affect on the competitiveness of our provincial and our national side.

Anyway, we are probably not going to reach agreement on this. However, Harry Fry's horses are going really well and Rock on Ruby is in top form ahead of the champion hurdle, whether he will beat the Fly I don't know but I will be backing him.