Been a Sharks Season ticket holder for 17+ years.
This year, when renewing for the 2026/2027 season, we were offered tickets to the Springboks vs Wales game, where we could keep our current season ticket seats. The Sharks announced this via email, had a sign up campaign for it etc. They struck a deal with SARU to allow us to buy our seats before they get released to the public.
So we renewed season tickets and purchased the Springboks for 8 seats.
We are now in game week. SARU, earlier this week has issued us the incorrect seats.
The seats issued are of a lower value and completely different area.
My seats are on the halfway line, 3rd row from the field. They have moved us to the TRY line.
Further to this, all 8 tickets are not even together!
They are not acknowledging this. Ticketmaster have stopped responding to our query. All emails just go unanswered after day 1.
The Sharks said they cannot do anything as its out of their hands. Apparently SARU requires the seats where we are, so they just took them.
There has been ZERO negotiations or tries to find a compromise with us.
We are just over 24 hours to go for the match, and there is no resolution.
We are left completely in the dark, after paying almost R15 000 for tickets.
Contacted a lawyer, who basically said its pointless going up against a giant like that. The cost alone will easily outweigh the cost of my tickets.
We can go to the CPA, but it will not be resolved in time for the match.
I don't know how many other season ticket holders have also been screwed over like this for this upcoming game.
What do I do?
Been such a loyal fan of rugby for multiple decades, and this experience has left such a bad taste in our mouths, that I eventually told The Sharks to cancel all my Season Tickets as we cannot support franchises like this.
Think 8 tickets, 17 years, new jerseys each year, parking tickets, thousands on food/drinks at every single game. All this lost, because they refuse to come to the table and they just bullying the supporters.
This year, when renewing for the 2026/2027 season, we were offered tickets to the Springboks vs Wales game, where we could keep our current season ticket seats. The Sharks announced this via email, had a sign up campaign for it etc. They struck a deal with SARU to allow us to buy our seats before they get released to the public.
So we renewed season tickets and purchased the Springboks for 8 seats.
We are now in game week. SARU, earlier this week has issued us the incorrect seats.
The seats issued are of a lower value and completely different area.
My seats are on the halfway line, 3rd row from the field. They have moved us to the TRY line.
Further to this, all 8 tickets are not even together!
They are not acknowledging this. Ticketmaster have stopped responding to our query. All emails just go unanswered after day 1.
The Sharks said they cannot do anything as its out of their hands. Apparently SARU requires the seats where we are, so they just took them.
There has been ZERO negotiations or tries to find a compromise with us.
We are just over 24 hours to go for the match, and there is no resolution.
We are left completely in the dark, after paying almost R15 000 for tickets.
Contacted a lawyer, who basically said its pointless going up against a giant like that. The cost alone will easily outweigh the cost of my tickets.
We can go to the CPA, but it will not be resolved in time for the match.
I don't know how many other season ticket holders have also been screwed over like this for this upcoming game.
What do I do?
Been such a loyal fan of rugby for multiple decades, and this experience has left such a bad taste in our mouths, that I eventually told The Sharks to cancel all my Season Tickets as we cannot support franchises like this.
Think 8 tickets, 17 years, new jerseys each year, parking tickets, thousands on food/drinks at every single game. All this lost, because they refuse to come to the table and they just bullying the supporters.
