The IRFU have revealed that a failure to sell the expected amount of five and ten year tickets has left the union with a loss of €26 million in projected earnings, according to The Irish Times. The union last night admitted to the loss, while also saying they would have to borrow to cover the costs of funding the game in Ireland for the next six years.

3,700 tickets – priced at €5,000 and €9,000 – were on sale, but somewhere between one third and one half were sold. The IRFU will now hope the sale of premium level tickets in2020 can help make up the deficit.

“We’ve been to the market and the it has said what it has said, we sold just under 50 percent of the tickets,” Philip Browne, IRFU chief executive, said at yesterday’s AGM at the Aviva Stadium.

The loss will see the level of funding provided to the professional game reduced across the country.

“We will all have to tighten our belts but we are going to continue to operate at the levels we are at. We will continue to fund four professional teams and the national team and the domestic game,” Browne said.

“It is business as usual we are just going to have to borrow to fund that cash deficit over the next six years,” he added.

Image: ©INPHO/James Crombie