The Liberty Stadium Ticket Office recorded its busiest day of the summer on Monday as Ospreys fans rushed to beat the Earlybird deadline to secure season memberships at the reduced price, and at the close of business the figure had risen past the 8,000 mark for the time ever.
The unprecedented response to this season’s membership packages has seen the previous record membership figure of 5,493 smashed two weeks ago, with the 8,000 mark reached in just seven weeks and two days and with almost three months remaining until the 2012/13 RaboDirect PRO12 season gets underway.
All standard seating in the Eteach Stand has gone, with a limited amount still available in the West Stand, which means that the south-east and south-west corners have now been opened up for memberships for the first time.
With the Earlybird deadline passing on Monday evening, standard membership prices now rise by £20 to £185, with premium seating rising £35 to £330. Anyone purchasing their membership will still qualify for the BoGoF deal that has proved so popular over the last two months, with Kids go Free initiatives also still in place, meaning the membership total is expected to rise still further in the coming months. The BoGoF deal is open to existing and new members*, and anyone who purchases a membership and registers a free member before 11th August will also receive a £25 Club Shop voucher.
Speaking about the news that the total had smashed through the 8,000 barrier, Chief Operations Officer Andrew Hore commented:
“This is absolutely amazing news and we are blown away by the response we’ve had to this year’s membership initiatives from the Ospreylian rugby community. It is fantastic that with nearly three months until the first competitive game of the new season almost half of the seats in the Liberty Stadium are already accounted for.
“Can you imagine the boost that this gives the team, knowing that the public are supporting the cause and will be backing them in numbers next season? After the exciting end of the season with that great win in the final in Dublin and with a real buzz about the place at the moment, the opening game of next season can’t come soon enough and we’re all looking forward to seeing all 8,000 members welcoming the team to the field on the first home game.
“To double memberships from last season already is a significant achievement and is a clear indication that as a rugby team and as a business, we are heading in the right direction.”
Memberships will remain on sale right up until the start of the new season, with any seats held by members during 2011/12 being held for renewal until after the first home PRO12 game of the season.
Hore said that he is hoping that supporters will continue to snap up memberships over the coming weeks and months:
“Although the Earlybird prices have expired there is no doubt that our membership packages remain possibly the most attractive around and I would expect that we will still see plenty of interest. What makes them even more attractive is that the atmosphere and matchday experience as a whole will be lifted by the larger support week-in, week-out, which will in turn help to inspire the team.
“All the initiatives and packages remain in place so hopefully the Ticket Office will remain busy, helping us to drive the membership figure even higher.”
For more information on our season membership packages please visit www.ospreysrugby.com/ticketing/news or call the Ticket Hotline on 0844 815 6665.
*T&C apply