Tough line on tickets

Press, 6 May 1981, Page 46

Tough line on tickets

Senior rugby players, who arrive at charge grounds without their season tickets will have to pay to gain admission. This is in line with a ‘get tough* policy adopted by the Canterbury Rugby Union in a bid to stamp out malpractices in the use of the passes. Several senior players who arrived, ticketless, at Lancaster Park last Saturday were made to pay the admission price of $l.BO. This will be the union’s stance from now. on. \ . Officials are concerned at the practice of players handing their tickets to friends or relatives and then telling

gatekeepers that , the coach has the team passes. There 'are also allegations of tickets being poked through fences from hand to hand, and consequently being used several times in one afternoon. Mr Vic Thomas, chairman of the union’s publicity committee, said yesterday that all senior sides were provided with 25 passes, which was regarded as an adequate number. It was.the responsibility of the manager or coach of each team to make sure each member of his party was furnished with a pass on the day of a game. And if new players were

required to join the squad, further passes were available on demand from the union’s office. The loss of revenue stemming from the artful dodges at the gates has caused the union members much concern, and it is determined to put this particular house in order. As an indication of its resolve, it recently warned Belfast senior playqrs wlp were warming ;up on ’ a ground outside Denton Oval that they would need their passes to gain entry to the pitch. That is what is called a hard line.