Coach John Dobson has applauded the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and Western Province Rugby leadership for resisting the urge to ramp up ticket prices for next week’s final.

The Stormers beat Connacht to earn the right to host Munster in the URC decider on 27 May. Tickets sold out without three hours of going on sale on Thursday, but organisers copped criticism from Irish pundits who implied that low prices were an attempt to pack the stadium with local fans.

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Speaking on Ryan O’Connor’s breakfast show on SmileFM on Friday, Dobson said the corporate frenzy around the final meant the stadium could have been filled at much higher ticket prices, and he hailed the decision to reward “the people who have supported us every week” by making tickets financially viable for Stormers fans.

The defending champions have set multiple attendance records this season, with 44,000 paying to watch them play against the Bulls in the quarters and then 47,000 at the semi-final against Connacht.

The final is expected to be attended by a crowd in excess of 50,000, potentially trumping the crowd at next week’s Champions Cup decider between Leinster and La Rochelle.

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