Coventry Rugby

Coventry Rugby is one of English rugby’s oldest and most historic clubs, tracing its roots back to 1874 and beginning a storied journey for the blue and whites. Today, Coventry competes in the RFU Championship and plays its home games at Butts Park Arena since 2004, a multi-sport club hosting other tenant clubs including Coventry Bears RL and Coventry United FC, in addition to community teams.

Challenge

In 2019, Coventry Rugby began to look at investing in a new ticketing system to improve the overall administration of its commercial operations. The club needed a ticketing platform that:

•  Allowed sales online and specifically from mobile devices
•  Would integrate with the club’s website, providing a smooth customer journey
•  Provided real-time live scanner reports on match days
•  Required minimal upfront investment and a competitive commercial rate.

Solution

In time for the opening game of the following season, Future Ticketing had built a new system for the club and was in the process of migrating 1,000 season ticket holders to the new platform. The club opened that new season with a move from unallocated general admission to allocated seating, with general admission standing.

In addition, off-field and community events such as rugby coaching camps, fireworks displays and Christmas pantomimes are also now booked via the Future Ticketing system.

Since partnering with Future Ticketing, Coventry Rugby has benefitted from both a significant increase in average crowds (up 10% in the Championship and 11% in the Championship Cup) and a significant swing in the proportions of tickets which are booked in advance compared to on match days.

In the 2018-19 season, the average advance to match day ratio was 20:80. By 2020, this had reversed to 70:30, giving the club more opportunity to prepare and plan for match days in relation to catering, staffing and security.

Value-added

In 2022, Coventry Rugby maximised the functionality and options from Future Ticketing’s high-performance software and installed state-of-the-art automated turnstiles to give supporters faster and more efficient access to Butts Park Arena, improving the fan experience. Average attendance in Butts Park has increased by 193% since 2017 and 2023/24 has seen an average attendance of 3,705.