Reminder: Special General Meeting

Reminder to members that the Special General Meeting of the Munster Rugby Supporters Club is to be held tomorrow, Wednesday 25th March, at 7.30 pm in The Charleville Park Hotel, Co.Cork for full members only.

Under the constitution of the club, full members have the right to request a special general meeting.

As of February 23rd a number of full members have requested a Special General Meeting for the purpose of seeking the approval of members to adopt the removal of Article 23.A from the Munster Rugby Supporters Club Constitution with effect from the commencement of 2015/16 rugby season.

The submitted notice reads:

"We the undersigned, in accordance with article 25.I.4 of the CONSTITUTION OF THE MUNSTER RUGBY SUPPORTERS CLUB (i.e BYE LAWS- GENERAL MEETINGS- Special General Meeting) request a special general meeting for Wednesday 25th March, 2105. Our express intention in requesting this meeting is to seek members approval by way of special resolution to amend the constitution of the Munster Rugby Supporters Club.

Specifically, we propose that the members approve and adopt the removal from the constitution of article 23.A with effect from the commencement of 2015/16 rugby season"

END

Article 23.A reads:


Membership Benefits

Whilst recognising that this Constitution provides that the benefits of membership of the Club are to be decided upon by the C.E.O., the Administrator and the Committee in unison, it is hereby acknowledged and confirmed to be the stated policy and wish of the members of the Club that the following criteria is applied in the prioritisation of distribution of membership benefits and the Committee are required to use their best endeavours to ensure such criteria is administered in the following manner:

A. Within each category of membership, members with a combined season ticket (i.e. a season ticket for both Thomond Park Stadium and Musgrave Park) will have priority over fellow members within the same category with a single – venue season ticket (i.e. a season ticket for either Thomond Park Stadium or Musgrave Park). Members with a single-venue season ticket will in turn have priority over members with no season ticket.


It is the view of the Manager and Committee that while the proposal is well meaning, it is not of benefit or in the best interests of the Munster Rugby Supporters Club and Munster Rugby.


What does it mean if the proposal is adopted?

Full Member with Combined Season Tickets will no longer hold priority in ticket allocations ahead of Full Members with Single Venue Season Tickets. Full members will retain priority ahead of Associate Members.

In the event that ticket allocations are less than the demand for those tickets, a lottery in the first instance would now be among ALL Full Members. Currently, priority is given as follows;

– Full Members with Combined Season Tickets
– Full Members with Single Venue Season Tickets
– Associate Members with Combined Season Tickets
– Associate Members with Single Venue Season Tickets
– Associate Members with No Season Ticket

Incentive to hold a combined venue ticket will be diminished, this in turn can lead to a negative impact on the clubs finances via season ticket sales.

The MRSC Management and Committee in an effort to inform members, have afforded the proposers the opportunity to put forward their rationale as to why such a proposal would benefit the club. They replied:

"We feel that, as Full Members and as single-venue season ticket holders (for both European Cup and Pro12 competitions), that we meet what should be the necessary requirements of the MRSC to have priority 'in the prioritisation of distribution of membership benefits'. Requiring to also purchase a season ticket for a second venue in order to have priority is, in our opinion, both unreasonable and unfair. One is either a Full Member (as we understood we were) or one is not. Having 'combined season tickets' should not be used as the deciding factor."

"We believe that Section 23 A of the MRSC Constitution should therefore read:

Within each category of membership members with a single-venue season ticket for either venue (i.e. season ticket for either Thomond Park Stadium or Independent Park) will have priority over fellow members with no season tickets."