In a briefing at the Ireland team hotel in Quinta do Lago this week, IRFU performance director David Humphreys reminded the room that Irish rugby incurred a deficit of €18.4 million for the 2023-24 financial year. Humphreys didn’t spell out the reasons, but the IRFU annual financial report did.
There was a World Cup in France that required preparation costs and because of the tournament itself, there was no revenue-driving Autumn Nations Series played.
The cost of playing in the World Cup was €12.1 million and, without the autumn matches, revenue for the financial year was down to €71.5 million. The previous year with four autumn matches – Ireland ‘A’ against an All Blacks XV and Ireland against South Africa, Fiji and Australia – revenue was €85.9 million.
Humphreys wasn’t panicky about the deficit but thought it prudent to point out that rugby does not take its success for granted. Part of his briefing was to explain how the IRFU must meet the costs of the 23 teams in its care across men, women, age grade and Sevens, and how it is continuously looking for ways to improve and evolve with changing demands.
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In that spirit of change and adaptation, which the game has had to do since it turned professional in 1995, an email was sent out this week from the IRFU urging fans attending the opening Six Nations match against England at the Aviva Stadium to arrive up to two hours before kick-off, where giant screens would show the opening game of the tournament between Scotland and Italy.
“Fans who arrive early won’t just be walking into the stadium − they will be diving into the action,” it promised. “To kick things off, the opening match of the Six Nations, Scotland vs Italy, will be shown on massive stadium screens, giving fans a chance to settle in, get in the spirit, and support Ireland’s own warm-up ahead of the main event.
“Renowned Irish DJ Mark McCabe will keep the energy at a fever pitch, spinning tunes at key moments throughout the match to fire up the crowd.”
It explained that the change in tone for the match came from feedback following last November’s international series prompting an effort by the IRFU to enhance the experience for people, some of whom paid €160 for stand tickets. Pricing alone makes it an exclusive event.
The game is a sell-out and always is, but the makeover illustrates two things. It marks a step away from the IRFU’s fusty, buttoned-up image and it takes Six Nations rugby in Dublin deeper into the world of entertainment. It recognises that people expect to get more bang for their buck and is a reminder of how much sports events have had to evolve over the years.
Ireland against England in Dublin has also become a particular spectacle as well as a competitive event. By using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation with pieces of scripted entertainment spliced into the evening, the IRFU hope to enhance their product.
The plan itself represents a big ask. If fans come in two hours before kick-off and stay to the final whistle, they will have been in the stadium for four hours as an international match now lasts about two hours.
There are also many parallels with cinema and theatre. It takes place in a stadium, or auditorium, with players in costume in front of a live audience and is also televised to a different, bigger live audience.
It is a drama that has heroes and villains, who can change character throughout the production. It provides ecstasy and pain and is a driver of emotions. It creates celebrities, who are young and dynamic.
The players live among us yet are not part of normal life and the bigger names, or headline acts, are paid extraordinary salaries. They are treated differently and their autographs and selfies are sought after.
They are myth makers and dream makers and as much as many of them hold a healthy scepticism about the breadth of their celebrity, or whether it even exists, they are all celebrated, and many are public figures.
Just as in the theatre or cinema, the IRFU invitation to party on Saturday comes with reasonable protocols and requests to be mindful of others in the ground.
“We ask all of our supporters to show respect for one another and be considerate of their fellow fans. Movement during live play can cause distractions, so please make sure to take your seats and move around only during breaks in play,” asked Aoife Clarke, Communications Director for the IRFU.
It will be interesting to see how it is received, or if rugby is moving too fast for its patrons, many of whom get their tickets through rugby clubs and know the nuances of which prop it was who collapsed the scrum, and that a crocodile roll to remove the jackler has been outlawed.
But with cheerleaders and a swimming pool behind the dead-ball line in Kings Park, Durban, fan experience is only going in one direction. “Entertainment” is the IRFU buzzword kicking off 2025.
