WRU and Tixserve are delighted with the successful roll out of digital ticketing during the Summer Internationals at Principality Stadium with 20,000 app downloads and counting.

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Originally trialled as staff accreditation during the Guinness Six Nations earlier this year, the WRU planned to introduce digital ticketing to WRU Member Clubs and supporters in time for the Autumn Internationals this October. However, due to the return of crowds at the summer games and the Track & Trace requirements for Covid 19, the WRU and Tixserve had to bring forward the plan to roll out the app in a matter of weeks.

Quickly adopted by supporters, the app was hailed a success by fans and both stewards and staff working on the ground. Post-match surveys revealed the majority of supporters who attended the game gave the app 10/10 for ease of use. The phased entry time and gate number allocated to each digital ticket sped up entry as the ticket QR code is simply scanned on the phone. The technology behind the digital ticketing app allowed push notification reminders to be sent to ticket holders ahead of the game. This kept queues down to a minimum, evaded any crowding and maintained a steady flow of fans into the stadium.

Following the first game against Canada, Mark Williams, Stadium Manager said, “We’re delighted with how the event has run today. The phased entry system worked well with a steady flow of fans arriving at the gates and scanning the digital tickets was a smooth process. I’d like to thank the fans for their support and adhering to our new guidelines; we appreciate this wasn’t a typical match day experience but hope they enjoyed a fantastic display of rugby and it’s great to welcome fans back with such a brilliant win from Wales.”

One of the major benefits of the digital ticketing app is the ability to ‘transfer’ a ticket so if you attend a rugby game with a friend you can swiftly transfer the ticket to the end user. The data assigned to each digital ticket enabled the WRU to identify the end user and their seat within the stadium. The ability to have direct contact with the end user is vital for Track & Trace purposes, a feature which wouldn’t have been possible with a traditional paper ticket.

A spokesperson from Llantwit Major RFC said, “The tutorial video was spot-on and a big help, as was the online help centre. I deliberately kept our order small to use it as learning experience and used 2 members I knew well. Overall & admittedly only small scale – only positives, and I found it quicker & easier than distributing paper tickets.”

Pat Kirby, Tixserve Managing Director said, “The Tixserve partnership with Welsh Rugby Union has got off to a flying start and I would like to thank the team at WRU for making the onboarding and rolling out of the Tixserve digital ticketing fulfilment solution such a rewarding and efficient experience for all concerned”

“The Principality Stadium is proving to be an invaluable reference site for our suite of products as Tixserve responds to the digital ticketing requirements of new clients across the live events sector in the United Kingdom and Ireland and in other regions. We have recently doubled the size of the Tixserve team to support our existing clients and in preparation to go live with additional blue-chip clients. Stay tuned for further announcements!”

Matthew Clarke, Principality Stadium Ticketing Manager said: “I’m very pleased with the launch of digital ticketing at the summer games, it’s great to see how supporters and clubs have embraced this new technology and are working with us during such unprecedented times. Working with Tixserve has been a fantastic experience, there will be learnings from summer which we will build on but there’s so much potential to digital ticketing and the stadium app. I look forward to continuing this journey as we plan ahead to the Autumn internationals and encourage supporters to download the app if they haven’t done so already.”

Principality Stadium ticketing app is available to download now from Google Play or Apple App Store. Supporters are encouraged to download the app ahead of Supporters Club Member Autumn International on sale, 10am on 6th August and Public Sale on 12th August from 10am.

WRU Hospitality packages for the Autumn Nations Series start from £295. For more information and to book, please visit wru.wales/VIP. Principality Stadium Experience hospitality clients can download a dedicated ticketing app ‘PSE VIP Tickets’ also via Google Play or Apple App Store.