Wales rugby fans wanting to watch Wayne Pivac's men in action at the 2023 Six Nations face forking out up to £130 each, marking the most expensive Wales tickets in history.
Fixtures and ticket details for next year's tournament have been announced, with Pivac's men hosting Ireland on February 4 and England on February 25 in Cardiff and playing all their matches in Saturday afternoon slots. The controversial Friday night slot has been ditched for 2023.
The Welsh Rugby Union has decreased prices for the Principality Stadium's alcohol-free zone (£80 for Ireland and £90 for England) while entry-level tickets remain frozen at £40, but prices have risen in some categories and go as high as £130 for the top-priced tickets to watch Wales v England.
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The full range of prices for the first round meeting with Ireland is £40, £80, £105, £110 and £120, and for the third-round meeting with England, prices start at £40 and move through to £90, £115, £120 and £130.
It comes after tickets for Wales' home Six Nations games in 2022 became the most expensive, priced at £115 for the top tickets after an increase of £10 across three ticket categories as a direct reflection of financial pressure caused by the Covid pandemic. Before that, the most expensive Wales Six Nations tickets had been the £110 tickets to watch Wales' bouts with England and Ireland during a Grand Slam-winning campaign in 2019.
WRU chief executive Steve Phillips has pointed to Wales' whole fixture list next season and the varying price tags which would allow fans to watch Wales without having to pay for top-priced tickets. He said: " It is vitally important to note that all proceeds from Welsh international tickets are fed directly back into the game in Wales. Whilst price increases have been necessary for some of our highest demand fixtures, we have also taken care to ensure Wales matches are as generally accessible as ever, with a price point and customer offering to cater for as wide an audience as possible across our full 2022/23 fixture list. A family of four will be able to watch our autumn match with Georgia for just £30 or all four family members could see Wales take on the All Blacks for a total of £120."
Tickets will be made available to WRU member clubs, debenture holders and premium members this month and WRU corporate hospitality and official travel packages are available now. Phillips added: "The best place to buy a ticket will, as always, be via WRU member clubs and further information about availability will be released soon."
After a controversial Wales v France Friday night fixture saw around 10,000 seats left empty in Cardiff this year, the slot has been scrapped for next season's tournament.
“We are always looking for the best possible preparation time for our Wales coaches and players when Six Nations fixtures are drawn up, which means avoiding a six day turnaround if possible,” Phillips added.
“Of course our respective colleagues in the Six Nations are all also looking for the same thing meaning compromises must be made, so we are delighted to have finished up with Saturday afternoon kick-off times in all five rounds.
“This is also great news for our loyal and passionate supporters who will not only follow us to France, Scotland and Italy but also pack out Principality Stadium for our two huge home matches against Ireland and England.
“In a year when Wales will face every side above us in the World Rankings, touring South Africa this summer and welcoming New Zealand, Australia and Argentina to Cardiff, alongside future Rugby World Cup 2023 pool C opponents Georgia, in the autumn, all of these matches form a vital part of our Rugby World Cup preparations."
Wales' 2023 Six Nations fixtures and kick-off times
Wales v Ireland, Saturday, February 4, 2.15pm: Tickets: £40, £80, £105, £110 and £120
Scotland v Wales, Saturday, February 11, 4.45pm
Wales v England, Saturday, February 25, 4.45pm: Tickets: £40, £90, £115, £120, £130
Italy v Wales, Saturday, March 11, 2.15pm
France v Wales, Saturday, March 18, 2.45pm
