Brothers get festival tattoos for free tickets

The brothers from Cornwall messaged the Bournemouth 7s Festival on social media

Two brothers have been given free tickets to a rugby festival after getting the event's logo tattooed on their legs.

Ashley, 23, and Sam Gilder, 24, from Cornwall, made the request to the Bournemouth 7's Festival on social media website X.

The organisers replied and said yes, but later admitted they thought the pair were joking.

The Gilder brothers got the B7 logo inked onto their thighs to claim their free tickets to the Dorset festival, whose founder said it was a "one off".

Ashley Gilder, who works as a chef, said he had never been to the festival before and "thought this would be an easier and funny way of getting to go".

He said he and his brother come from "a big rugby family".

"Although our parents didn't know that we were getting the tattoos they weren't surprised. It's the sort of thing they have come to expect from us," he said.

Sam Gilder, a strength and conditioning coach, said he was initially unsure when his younger brother came to him with the idea.

"I've always been an advocate for pushing your luck and seeing what you can get so I came around to the idea and thought it would be worth a crack," he said.

"I now quite like it to be fair."

The pair said they are looking forward to the event, which runs over the weekend from 24 May.

Ashley Gilder said this was his first "proper tattoo" and he would not rule out getting more if it meant he could get more freebies.

'A no-brainer'

Bournemouth 7s Festival founder Dodge Woodall said: “Every year at Bournemouth 7s, we're blown away by the energy and passion of our festival-goers, and while we didn't expect anyone to get our logo tattooed on their body, it's hard not to be impressed by the commitment and boldness these brothers showed.

"Giving them some free tickets was a no-brainer for me, so fair play to them.

"They’re a testament to the festival’s impact on fans and the spirit of the Bournemouth 7s crowd. With that said, this is a one-off.

"We don’t want to encourage anybody else to go out and get a tattoo. We’re not accepting tattoos as payment for tickets.”