Ulster Rugby will concentrate on their most committed support base when allocating 600 tickets for the first match back in the Guinness Pro14 at the Kingspan Stadium on Friday night.
There will be 17,611 empty seats but with the Covid-19 restrictions still in place across the Republic of Ireland and most of sport, it is a start.
The trial to reintroduce supporters follows a comprehensive consultation process with local government, Belfast City Council and the IRFU. In total, around 850 people will attend the season opener against Benetton Rugby, including teams, backroom staff, media and officials.
After the match fans will be asked to provide feedback on their experience, to ensure the club continues to provide a safe and enjoyable experience in the weeks and months ahead.
All 600 tickets will be made available to #TogetherUlster Members only via an online ballot process. 300 Members will be randomly selected and granted the opportunity to purchase two tickets each.
#TogetherUlster Memberships are still available at a cost of £65 for Adults with a £10 bolt-on option for Juniors. All adult members will have access to the ballot.
“Following a number of very challenging months for us all, I’m encouraged that this weekend will mark the measured return of a limited number of spectators to Kingspan,” said Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie.
“This event is the culmination of a considerable amount of planning and preparation from across Ulster Rugby – together with the IRFU, Belfast City Council and local government – to ensure this is a safe and managed return to the Friday night lights.
“We hope the upcoming match will be the solid foundation on which we can continue to build towards once again being able to all stand up together.”
Friday night’s match will be fully seated, in groups of two, with physically distanced seating available for supporters in three of the stands. All tickets are priced at £20 each.
The online ballot will be open until 2 pm today on the Ulster Rugby Ticket Account Manager, and account holders can apply for one pair of tickets per every Adult #TogetherUlster Membership held.
All successful applicants will be notified via email by 4 pm today and will then have until 10 am on Thursday 1 October to process payment and confirm their ticket purchase.
It’s a fair and effective way of distributing tickets and it has to be hoped that no public health issue will cause it to be pulled as has been the case with a number of British pilots to get fans back in recent weeks.
