IRELAND'S RUGBY FEDERATION HAVE CONTACTED THE GARDAI after it was discovered that tickets for Ireland's upcoming game against England on the 18th of March in the Six Nations are being sold for excessive prices on third-party websites.
Ireland and England is always a tasty affair for ardent rugby fans and this year's clash between the old rivals will take place the day after St. Patrick's Day at the Aviva Stadium.
Steve Borthwick's England will take on Andy Farrell's high-flying Ireland in the final game of the Six Nations for a potential Grand Slam, tickets for the game will be like gold dust.
According to a report by the Irish Times this week, it has been discovered by the IRFU that tickets for the game have been found online with prices quoted for around €1,042 and €3,381.
Tickets for games in the Six Nations usually go for around €80 and €135.
Because of the Sale of Tickets Act, which was brought about in 2021, it now means it is now illegal to tout tickets for more than they're worth.
The law bans the resale of tickets to live events, matches and concerts in designated venues at prices above face value.
Under the law, venues can apply to be listed as designated venues if the operator is of reasonable opinion that it will hold events that will give rise to over-priced secondary selling. The Aviva Stadium is listed as a designated venue.
IRFU contacts Garda over sites selling Ireland vs England tickets for €889 to €3,119 https://t.co/EF4xmI7kBZ pic.twitter.com/jwKEGb99CM — Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) February 14, 2023
Anybody who is found to break this law can be fined up to €100,000 or face up to two years in prison.
The full statement from the IRFU on the Irish Times site read, “The IRFU is unequivocally against the resale of tickets above face value and our terms and conditions reflect this.”
It added: “We’re aware of these sites but they rarely ever advertise the actual seat numbers etc, so it is very difficult for us to trace the origin of the tickets.
“However, we will continue to monitor them and will pass the information on to the gardaí to take whatever action they deem appropriate in accordance with the Act. We will continue to support the authorities on this.”
This comes days after tickets for Ireland and France's game last Saturday were being flogged for up to around €2,000 on the morning of the game.
Ireland's next game in the Six Nations will against Italy on the 26th of February.
