The Rugby Football Union was "forced to defend a hike in the cost of watching England play at home on Monday, amid an overhaul of the pricing structure for Tests at Twickenham," according to Chris Foy of the London DAILY MAIL. When England Manager Eddie Jones and his team face France in their opening game of the Six Nations, top tickets will cost £130 ($158) each -- a "sharp increase" from £106 ($128.91) for the same fixture in '15. For a family of four to watch the game from the best seats, it will cost a total of £520 ($632.37). The price hike "is part of a revised ticketing system, with matches now placed in different tiers based on the opposition." England's games against Wales, Ireland, France and New Zealand are reportedly in the top tier, with Australia, South Africa and Scotland in the second tier. Argentina is below that, "while encounters with the Pacific Island sides are cheaper still." There are now seven different categories of prices for each match, "as opposed to three under the old structure." The RFU has confirmed that ticket prices for England's clash with France on Feb. 4 range from £41-£130 ($49.86-$158). The RFU suggests that income from this season "will rise more or less in line with inflation" and insists that top-end price increases have been implemented "in order to freeze the cost of more affordable seats" (DAILY MAIL, 1/9).
