from the Connacht Rugby press office :
Last night Johnny O'Connor, John Muldoon, Gavin Duffy, Brett Wilkinson, Mike McCarthy, Michael Swift, Frank Murphy and Adrian Flavin, along with members of the Connacht Clan, picked up the phones to speak with some of last years' season ticket holders.
The players, staff and clan members were calling to offer their thanks to fans for their support last year and inviting them to avail of the remaining tickets in the Clan Stand and Main Stand.
The initiative proved extremely popular with fans taking the opportunity to gain a bit of insight into pre-season training and have a chat with senior squad members. Over 500 supporters were contacted with many renewing their tickets on the evening, whilst those that weren't in a position to do so pledged their on-going support from further afield. Speaking about the Phonathon Head of Marketing Alex Saul said:
"We wanted to reconnect with those supporters who had yet to renew their season tickets. It was a really insightful evening for everyone and the players really enjoyed the experience of chatting with the fans. We had one or two surprised people who weren't sure if it was a prank! The main thing is that everyone had fun and there wasn't one person who didn't appreciate the call even if they weren't in a position to renew. Everyone at the club appreciates how important our supporters are to us and we want to retain and recruit the best of fans, the same as we do with players."
With the weight of the Connacht Rugby Supporters Club behind them the players made short work contacting the supporters and, with some very reasonable packages still on offer, the 2012/13 season tickets proved very popular, so popular in fact that certain sections of the ground have already sold out.
John Muldoon had a particularly successful evening, he added:
"It was great to speak with supporters and get their view. A lot of them didn't realise that we had some extra Clan Terrace tickets for sale so they were delighted to hear that. It's easy for us to promote the season tickets, because as players we certainly appreciate the difference a packed home stadium can make on the pitch. I managed to ring a few buddies too and they were all keen to sign up. Last year the crowds were exceptional and this year's season ticket sales are higher again so that's really exciting for the players to know our fan base is growing."
Gavin Duffy paid particular attention to the support of the Clan members on the evening:
"Tonight was important for the club and it's great that we have members of the Clan taking the time out of their schedules to help us with the drive. We're very lucky in that regard. Pre-season is going really well and the whole squad is looking forward to getting stuck into the first game of the campaign."
Supporters are urged to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment. Connacht Rugby season tickets can be bought from www.connachtrugby.ie or by calling the ticket hotline on 091 561568
