Season ticket holders get first refusal

LEINSTER AND Ulster season ticket holders will have the opportunity over the next few days to buy tickets for the Heineken Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday, May 19th. ERC have confirmed the game at the home of English rugby will be an 82,000 sell-out.

There were less than a thousand tickets from an allocation of 55,000 that were made available for public sale from May, 2011, still on offer ahead of the Leinster’s semi-final victory over Clermont Auvergne on Sunday. These were snapped up within 60 seconds of the final whistle.

Leinster and Ulster have each been given an allocation of 7,500 tickets apiece for the final and they will be distributed to season ticket holders first in the provinces over the next few days: the respective organisations have a designated policy. Leinster operate a lottery format for season ticket holders (two tickets initially per successful request) while Ulster have an ordered meritocracy procedure that starts with current season ticket holders who may purchase four tickets, numbers permitting.

An ERC spokesperson confirmed that significant numbers of Ulster and Leinster supporters had purchased presciently in the hope that their teams would make the final.

He also pointed to a growing trend over the past five years in which rugby supporters from all over Europe purchase tickets and then elect to attend the final, sporting their club colours, even if their team doesn’t make it. So expect to see, some Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, Toulouse, Munster and Clermont Auvergne jerseys at Twickenham.

The public sale for the European final (55,000) and the teams’ allocation (15,000) leaves 12,000 tickets and these are allocated by ERC to tournament’s stakeholders, the six unions (Ireland, England, Scotland Wales, France and Italy), the LNR (France), Premiership Rugby (England), official hospitality packages, commercial partners and sponsors and the media, broadcast and print.

Meanwhile, Leinster have announced details of 18 contract extensions and two new signings as the squad for next season and beyond. A significant number were renegotiated last season but the latest round of agreements should leave the province in rude health in the short to medium term.

Isa Nacewa has signed a one-year extension that will keep him at the province until the end of the 2013-2014 season. IRFU chief executive Philip Browne responded to inquires whether the Fijian international’s contract is in line with the PCRG (Professional Contracts Review Group) non-eligible player policy framework. “Following on from what has been a truly phenomenal weekend for Irish rugby, the re-signing of Isa Nacewa by Leinster is a very positive move and one that is very much welcomed by the IRFU. While we are absolutely committed to the primacy of the national team, something that all of the provinces agree with, the PCRG will continue to show discretion on the management of the policy when working with, and supporting, our provinces in their quest for ongoing success in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.”

Ireland international Kevin McLaughlin has signed a three-year deal while there are two-year extensions for fellow internationals Isaac Boss, Gordon D’Arcy, Eoin Reddan and Rhys Ruddock. Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is optimistic Luke Fitzgerald may join that list.

A number of former Leinster academy players such as Andrew Conway, David Kearney and Ian Madigan have penned two-year extensions and they will be joined by Leo Auva’a and Aaron Dundon who have each come up through the AIL ranks with Old Belvedere and Seapoint/Clontarf, respectively, in recent years.

Club captain Leo Cullen, Fionn Carr, John Cooney, Brendan Macken and Springbok prop Heinke van der Merwe have all agreed one-year contracts, while Mark Flanagan and Tom Sexton have signed one-year development contracts.

Leinster also confirmed two new players, both Irish qualified in 25-year-old tighthead prop Michael Bent, who joins from the Super 15 franchise, the Hurricanes, and 24 year old Leeds Carnegie secondrow Tom Denton.

D’ARCY SIGNS NEW TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

THE IRFU announced that Gordon D'Arcy has signed a new two-year contract, writes JOHN O'SULLIVAN

The Leinster and Irish centre penned a deal that will run for two further seasons until 2014.

He made his debut for the province in 1998 and Sunday’s Heineken Cup semi-final victory over Clermont Auvergne was his 203rd appearance for the province. His Ireland bow came as a 19-year-old at the World Cup in 1999, playing on the wing against Romania. He moved to the centre for Ireland and Leinster in 2004 and has gone on to become the second most capped centre in Irish history, behind his long-time playing partner Brian O’Driscoll.

Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said: “Gordon is a born and bred Leinster man and since his debut in 1998 he has been a highly consistent performer for Leinster. His competitiveness and ability have had added huge value both on and off the field.”