Panthers members will be asked to buy tickets to Penrith’s round 20 NRL match against the Canberra Raiders, with a portion of the ticket price being donated to charity.
The move, announced just three weeks out from the game, means that members will not be able to gain game day access with their usual pass and will have to pre-purchase their seats. Tickets will go on sale this week and members will only have until July 16 to ensure they can sit in their regular seat.
It is expected that members in the western grandstand, for example, will be asked to pay the standard diamond ticket price of $35, with $10 going to the Ronald McDonald Nepean Family Room at Nepean Hospital.
The club is hoping to raise $100,000 on the day. $10 from every adult ticket purchased and $5 from every junior ticket purchased will go to the hospital.
The Panthers say they originally “looked into the possibility” of taking the match against Canberra to Christchurch in New Zealand, but the plans have been shelved “in favour of giving Panthers members and fans another opportunity to support their team on home turf”.
While members were only ever sold 2015 packages based on 10 games being at Pepper Stadium, and there will now be 11, the game against the Raiders has always been scheduled to be played at Penrith according to the NRL draw released late last year.
With one of Penrith’s allocated 12 home games already shifted to Bathurst, fans were never told which of the 11 remaining matches scheduled for Pepper Stadium in the draw would be moved. With 11 games going ahead, the Panthers have opted to charge members for the 11th game but include the community component.
“It is fundamentally important that the Panthers are able to give back to the Penrith community which so passionately supports the club,” Panthers Head of Rugby League Justin Pascoe said.
“The Nepean Family Room is a special place and Panthers is proud to have the opportunity to make a contribution to the remarkable service it provides.
“We are calling on our members and fans to rally to this cause with the same pride, passion and commitment they show for our club every week.”
Panthers will contact members this week.
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