June 2008

Re: International Tickets, the Black Market and Sanctions.

The Rugby Football Union is anxious that its tickets for Twickenham should reach the hands of the genuine supporters and sponsors of the game.  As a result, the RFU has stepped up its policing of the black market and this has led to a number of clubs and schools whose tickets have ended up on the black market being sanctioned. 

It has become apparent that a number of schools do take steps to minimise the risk of tickets ending up on the black market, whereas other schools take few or no steps.  In light of this, we thought it appropriate to write with some explanations and it is hoped assistance in relation to international tickets.

Despite the best efforts of the Union there are still a considerable number of tickets which are being sold for profit into the black market, be it unofficial hospitality companies or ticket touts   I attach to this letter a note which I hope is of assistance to you in complying with the RFU ticket conditions.

The current returns policy is currently under consideration, but in the meantime the situation is as follows.  For Grade A matches, defined as 6 Nations matches or matches against South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (SANZAR), the Ticket Office will accept returned tickets from  those to whom the RFU issued them up to 60 minutes before kick off to the West Enquiry Office or the Ticket Office at Rugby House, where a refund less an administration charge of £5 per ticket will be issued after the match to the school to which the ticket was issued. 

If you need any assistance in relation to the RFU ticket terms or any other query in relation to tickets please address them in writing to Patricia Murphy at the Ticket Office or Karen Neale in the Legal Department.

RFU TICKETS-GUIDANCE NOTE

Unfortunately there continues to be some confusion as to what schools can do with their tickets and in addition mistakes are being made.

The RFU has undertaken, and will continue to undertake, a policing operation which uncovers instances of black market activity.  The steps taken include: 

• purchasing tickets for unofficial hospitality and the inspection of tickets within hospitality venues;
• the use of test purchasing in the weeks before and on the day of internationals;
• monitoring eBay and other internet auction sites; and
• sound and video surveillance of the activities in and around Twickenham on match day. 
   

If this policing operation uncovers a breach of the ticket conditions, the school that was allocated the ticket concerned will be asked for an explanation and the matter may be referred to the Ticket Sub-Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Management Board.  The Ticket Sub-Committee will consider the facts of each case including the culpability of the school concerned and any other mitigating circumstances and decide on the appropriate sanction.  Sanctions have been imposed which have resulted in the reduction for a period of time of all or part of a ticket allocation.

It has become apparent when considering individual cases that tickets have ended up on the black market because of errors, lack of knowledge and in particular because ticket holders have been let down by others (sometimes innocently).

A common reason why tickets end up on the black market is that someone is let down at the last minute and then sells the ticket near the stadium at face value or even gives the ticket away free of charge to avoid it going to waste to someone they believe is “a genuine fan”.  This apparently genuine fan however often turns out to be no more than a “runner” for a ticket tout.  Many schools are unaware of how the touts operate on match day.  It is no longer just a man on the corner of the street asking if people want to buy or sell tickets.  They use runners dressed in rugby shirts who look like genuine fans asking for just 1 or 2 spare tickets.  These runners appear in pubs where rugby fans are known to congregate before the game, on the way to the stadium and even in the stadium car parks.  In some cases, we have even seen runners enter the ground with the person who has given them a ticket only to return outside the ground to resell the ticket at a premium.  

Faced with this type of problem, we set out below a number of steps which schools should take to minimise tickets ending up on the black market.  Whilst the ticket conditions impose an absolute liability on schools (and others) to ensure that the tickets do not reach the black market, the steps a school itself takes to prevent this are always considered by the Ticket Sub-Committee.

It is recommended to the Heads of Schools that receive an application form for or which applies for tickets should:

1. Check whether an application for tickets has been made and whether an allocation has been received.
2. Ensure you are aware of who is undertaking the allocation if it is not you; 
3. Keep a full record of to whom tickets are issued and retain those records for at least 12 months as they may well be asked for by RFU.
4. Ensure that all recipients of Tickets are advised that tickets are transferred subject to the RFU ticket terms and conditions.
5. Ensure tickets are only allocated to School staff and pupils.
6. Make the RFU ticket terms and conditions available on request and ensure that ticket recipients understand them.
7. Ensure that the school staff are aware that the tickets are for their or the pupil’s personal use and should only be used by them and warn them about not giving or selling spare tickets to friends or family or on match days to “genuine fans”.
8. Warn staff that if their tickets end up on the black market they will not be allowed to receive international tickets for a period of time and the school may be penalised by a loss of allocation.
9. Ensure that staff retain the tickets allocated to the School for a month after the match.

If you have any query about the ticket conditions or as to what you can do with the tickets, please seek advice from Karen Neale at the RFU (KarenNeale@rfu.com).  If you find out or suspect that any person to whom you have issued tickets has or may have parted with them, make immediate enquiries, tell the RFU immediately and if you are satisfied there has been any breach of the ticket conditions TAKE ACTION yourself. 

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