Simon Muderack: Scarlets chairman feels 'lucky' to welcome back fans this season
- Published
Scarlets executive chairman Simon Muderack took over at the region in 2020
Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack says the region feel lucky to have fans back for the final home game of the season against Edinburgh on 13 June.
The Pro14 Rainbow Cup match will be the only regional match to welcome supporters this campaign in the final game of the domestic season.
Muderack hopes the fixture will attract more than 1,000 supporters.
"Our numbers are not finalised but we hope it will be in the low X-numbers of thousands," said Muderack.
Wales will have up to 10,000 fans available to watch the three July test matches against Canada and Argentina in July at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Ospreys will not host supporters for their final home match of the season against Benetton on 12 June at Bridgend's Brewery Field.
So it will be the Scarlets who will have the first experience of rugby supporters in the stands in Wales at Parc y Scarlets.
"We have been hoping for this and we feel lucky to be able to do this for even just one game," added Muderack.
"We are excited even though it's the very tail end of the season.
"We are lucky we are playing our final match of the season on the last weekend and have the opportunity to sneak in legally a number of fans.
"We want to just put a bit of a smile back on people's faces. We want to do it right and safely. Everybody has a bounce in their step and a smile on their face and really wants to do this."
Capacity will be limited across the four Parc y Scarlets stands and North Terrace with season tickets, external for the 2020-21 campaign having priority.
There will be one ticket allocated per season ticket holder with the possibility of being in a three household bubble.
Everyone claiming a ticket to the game will have to fill out a health and safety questionnaire before entry into the stadium with spectators required to wear a mask throughout their time on the stadium premises.
"There are some rules that need to be worked through but we have been studying it for a couple of months," added Muderack.
"Our priority is to try and get season ticket holders in. We have also got quite a few boys who are leaving this season so we hope to at least get their families in and hopefully the families of the entire squad as well as the staff.
"If we can get those two groups catered for then hopefully we will be able to open it up for a ballot."
Muderack hopes this could signal the return of full crowds for the 2021-22 season.
"I hope so and economically that is our assumption," said Muderack.
"Our business cycle runs 1 July through until 30 June and we are assuming full crowds will return by the time our league kicks off at the end of September.
"We will be guided by public health guidance and what is happening in society as we have done and a lot can change in a couple of months."