A whiff of Cordite

[Serb]

The idea of growing the brand is a no-brainer for me, as Leinster are one the world's top club sides. For that reason I don't understand why, when for example Toulon are sponsored by VW, our lads are running around with Bank of Ireland on their jerseys. That for me is totally parochial. Our main sponsor should be Intel, the largest private employer in the RoI. The advertising bods would have a hay day with that, finding ways to combine "Intel inside" with the Leinster Way etc. etc. A hook up like that and plugging into the diaspora stateside makes commercially even more sense.

I wonder if you need the VIP match day experience (e.g. a premium tier / boxes like we plan to build for the RDS redevelopment) before you can attract the big guns. A big part of the deal for companies like that is being able to bring the execs and clients to the game on a junket every second week.

[Ruckedtobits]

We are hamstrung in a number of ways when it comes to revenue, the main one being the RDS itself. I believe we get no cut of the food or drink concessions, and that’s a huge chunk of change to miss out on on game day.

I was at the Toulouse vs Toulon match in Toulouse last weekend and the match day experience was phenomenal. Massive bar with a DJ, jugs of beer being sold for €20 a pop, numerous food stalls all pretty high quality, coupled with a fully sold out game of about 20,000 people and almost 1,000,000 people watching the game at home.

The game was at 9pm on a Sunday evening and the stadium was still pumping at almost 1am. I’d say they pull in insane revenue from games like that. Would love something even vaguely similar on match day in Dublin.

Ditto (but smaller scale c.15,000) at game which I attended in Bayonne v Racing 92, with their new Stand being unveiled. Mind you, temperature was 35C and k-o was 4 pm. But Stadium still almost full at 7.30 pm, after a famous home win. Drink, food & merchandise being sold in huge quantities.

[mildlyinterested]

we cant fill the RDS on most game weekends, why would Intel want to sponsor us?

Leinster need to focus on getting more fans in the gates.

[Dave Cahill]

we cant fill the RDS on most game weekends, why would Intel want to sponsor us?

Leinster need to focus on getting more fans in the gates.

How about because an entire season of sold-out RDS fixtures wouldn't match one decent television viewership?

The number of people actually in the ground is barely an issue for Sponsors

Celtic (SPFL/Champions League): Average home crowd 53k - Jersey sponsorship (dafabet) c.GBP 2.65m per annum
Fulham (EPL): Average home crowd 22k - Jersey sponsorship (w88) c.GBP 4m per annum
(both figures are unofficial but widely reported)

[munster#1]

The new Munster CEO Ian Flannigan also made these types of claims when he joined, stating he thought it was a bad tactic to be over reliant on match day revenue.

It is interesting to see that Leinster rely on match day revenue for 50% of their income. I wonder how the other provinces look in comparison.
I also wonder how much of the other 50% is income from the IRFU in terms of subsidies and salary payments?

What is also interesting is the timing of this article. I wonder have the negative comments on here directed at the Leinster marketing team been taken on board?

[jezzer]

The idea of growing the brand is a no-brainer for me, as Leinster are one the world's top club sides. For that reason I don't understand why, when for example Toulon are sponsored by VW, our lads are running around with Bank of Ireland on their jerseys. That for me is totally parochial. Our main sponsor should be Intel, the largest private employer in the RoI. The advertising bods would have a hay day with that, finding ways to combine "Intel inside" with the Leinster Way etc. etc. A hook up like that and plugging into the diaspora stateside makes commercially even more sense.

I wonder if you need the VIP match day experience (e.g. a premium tier / boxes like we plan to build for the RDS redevelopment) before you can attract the big guns. A big part of the deal for companies like that is being able to bring the execs and clients to the game on a junket every second week.

Absolutely you do. Not much corporate prestige to be won in taking your client to a stable.

[hugonaut]

We are hamstrung in a number of ways when it comes to revenue, the main one being the RDS itself. I believe we get no cut of the food or drink concessions, and that’s a huge chunk of change to miss out on on game day.

I was at the Toulouse vs Toulon match in Toulouse last weekend and the match day experience was phenomenal. Massive bar with a DJ, jugs of beer being sold for €20 a pop, numerous food stalls all pretty high quality, coupled with a fully sold out game of about 20,000 people and almost 1,000,000 people watching the game at home.

The game was at 9pm on a Sunday evening and the stadium was still pumping at almost 1am. I’d say they pull in insane revenue from games like that. Would love something even vaguely similar on match day in Dublin.

I was at Bayonne vs Racing ... ditto. Great atmosphere. Game was on 5pm in 28º, all the Bayonne fans wearing their famous 'foulard bleu et blanc'. They also have one of the greatest rugby songs ever.

We have had days like that in the past. I remember the Challenge Cup semi-final against Biarritz very fondly ... and obviously the recent semi-final in Lansdowne against Toulouse was a cracking day out, as good as you could hope for from a rugby game.

[Ruckedtobits]

RIP Eddie Butler

Gone at 65, in his sleep doing a Charity Walk in the Andes for Welsh Prostate charity.

A lovely man with a truly great rugby knowledge and love of, almost, all of the game. Enjoyed his company on a few occasions and he was charming and really did know the details of rugby everywhere. Much too young at 65 leaving his widow Sue and six children, but he lived a full life spreading the rugby gospel. He particularly admired how Ireland and our Provinces adapted to Professional Rugby.

[cormac]

Very sad news. Himself and Brian Moore were a great double act in the commentary booth for many a year.

[wixfjord]

What a legend. RIP.

[jezzer]

Awww shït. What a class act. Top rugby man and a gent to boot.

[ronk]

Not much prestige in taking corporates to see Dragons. The economics of boxes rests on the big games. We have our big games in Aviva. I don't know how good we are are marketing them and whether we get paid for them. I don't usually think they looked busy.

There are a lot of boxes in Aviva. Boxes are expensive.q

The corporate gap in the RDS shouldn't try to compete with that (and would come into conflict with the IRFU). There are people who want to do some light entertaining (the crowd who want a fancy meal have their choice of restaurants just outside) and people who can afford a more premium matchday experience.

[jezzer]

Not much prestige in taking corporates to see Dragons. The economics of boxes rests on the big games. We have our big games in Aviva. I don't know how good we are are marketing them and whether we get paid for them. I don't usually think they looked busy.

There are a lot of boxes in Aviva. Boxes are expensive.q

The corporate gap in the RDS shouldn't try to compete with that (and would come into conflict with the IRFU). There are people who want to do some light entertaining (the crowd who want a fancy meal have their choice of restaurants just outside) and people who can afford a more premium matchday experience.

I would try to expound on the large holes and "why try because you'd only fail" tinge of this post of yours Ronk, but i don't think I'd change your opinion either way.

[wixfjord]

Not much prestige in taking corporates to see Dragons. The economics of boxes rests on the big games. We have our big games in Aviva. I don't know how good we are are marketing them and whether we get paid for them. I don't usually think they looked busy.

There are a lot of boxes in Aviva. Boxes are expensive.q

The corporate gap in the RDS shouldn't try to compete with that (and would come into conflict with the IRFU). There are people who want to do some light entertaining (the crowd who want a fancy meal have their choice of restaurants just outside) and people who can afford a more premium matchday experience.

I would try to expound on the large holes and "why try because you'd only fail" tinge of this post of yours Ronk, but i don't think I'd change your opinion either way.

+1

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities. It's an enormous gap for a team which should be in an absolute prime position to command a big slice of the corporate market.

A good corporate experience with a bar and food is basically irrelevant who the team is playing on the pitch but in any case, that's not how corporate box economics works - it's a long term deal, it's not bought match to match.

[Dave Cahill]

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities.

The RDS has no corporate boxes - but has at least a dozen corporate banqueting facilities on site, not counting Simmonscourt. Attached to the RDS is a five-star hotel (where Leinster used to do their corporate stuff, I don't know if they still do it there) and across the road is a four-star hotel - both of which also have extensive corporate facilities.

[wixfjord]

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities.

The RDS has no corporate boxes - but has at least a dozen corporate banqueting facilities on site, not counting Simmonscourt. Attached to the RDS is a five-star hotel (where Leinster used to do their corporate stuff, I don't know if they still do it there) and across the road is a four-star hotel - both of which also have extensive corporate facilities.

Of course you're aware I meant corporate boxes there.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities.

The RDS has no corporate boxes - but has at least a dozen corporate banqueting facilities on site, not counting Simmonscourt. Attached to the RDS is a five-star hotel (where Leinster used to do their corporate stuff, I don't know if they still do it there) and across the road is a four-star hotel - both of which also have extensive corporate facilities.

I’ve been to one game with a “corporate” ticket. It was just the match itself but it was in the Anglesea and the view was blocked. It was empty so we just moved, but the idea that a big company would give those tickets to clients was mind boggling, and that was years ago.

[Dave Cahill]

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities.

The RDS has no corporate boxes - but has at least a dozen corporate banqueting facilities on site, not counting Simmonscourt. Attached to the RDS is a five-star hotel (where Leinster used to do their corporate stuff, I don't know if they still do it there) and across the road is a four-star hotel - both of which also have extensive corporate facilities.

Of course you're aware I meant corporate boxes there.

No, if I thought you meant corporate boxes I would have said something about the RDS only having one thing that could be vaguely described as a corporate box, the committee seating, and it's a terrible place to watch a game, the elevation is poor, the sightlines are dreadful and you have to piss with the hoi-polloi.

But in terms of facilities, the RDS is very well served and Leinster use them extensively

[Dave Cahill]

I’ve been to one game with a “corporate” ticket. It was just the match itself but it was in the Anglesea and the view was blocked. It was empty so we just moved, but the idea that a big company would give those tickets to clients was mind boggling, and that was years ago.

The Anglesea stand is dreadful - the back looks nice in a sort of highbury on a budget kind of way, but the stand itself and the roof are not fit for purpose anymore. If you could keep the back and gut the rest, that'd be ideal

[ronk]

The RDS has basically no corporate facilities.

The RDS has no corporate boxes - but has at least a dozen corporate banqueting facilities on site, not counting Simmonscourt. Attached to the RDS is a five-star hotel (where Leinster used to do their corporate stuff, I don't know if they still do it there) and across the road is a four-star hotel - both of which also have extensive corporate facilities.

Yes. And this is one of the reasons why Thomond could build boxes and we shouldn't in the RDS, not many anyway. Also Thomond Park was built to have boxes on 2 sides but they only built one at first. The collapse of income from them with the economy at the time was a huge driver of the stadium debt issues. The driver of Thomond Parks design was the 3 Heineken Cup games plus knockouts.

What the RDS needs is premium seats with a bar and decent toilets because there's a market for that. It might also need a full length terrace.

Any ambitious project to expand the RDS is going to run up against the fact that Aviva is around the corner. That doesn't mean we shouldn't improve the facilities, it just means we should be realistic about it. There's a business case for renovation, but at the end of the day renovation talk is being led by the Anglesea stand. The other 3 sides aren't expected to change as far as I understand.

It wouldn't be good to raise prices for everyone else or impose risks on Leinster Rugby for a subset of fans. The most expensive Leinster season tickets are already fairly pricey.

Now maybe the economics of the Horse Show and business usage on non-matchdays flips the case for those facilities and great if it does. Otherwise it'll just be expensive.