Rugby fans who got in for free urged to pay up

Fans of an amateur rugby league team who got into a big match for free due to the "unforeseen volume of supporters" who turned up have been urged to make a donation to the club.

West Hull ARLFC played their third-round Challenge Cup tie against St Helens at Hull KR's ground on Saturday in what their assistant coach said was "the biggest game we have ever had as a club".

But congestion before the match led to a decision to open the turnstiles.

West Hull said it had missed out on revenue as a result, and it is urging fans to pay the admission charge retrospectively.

Assistant coach Glyn Jones said that with Hull FC playing at the same time, West Hull had not anticipated the "sheer volume" of support that turned out on the day.

He said any criticism levelled at Hull KR was unfair and added that staff at the Super League club had gone above and beyond to accommodate the tie.

"The blame lies with us, not with Hull KR, and I would like to personally thank them and apologise for the abuse [they] received," he said.

West Hull said that while free entry would be preferable for fans, it took away vital revenue from the club.

It asked for those who did not pay on the day to make donations using the details posted on its social media channels.

St Helens added their support to the appeal, describing their opponents as "a bright spark in the Hull community" and saying that fans returning the ticket cost "could help them for the years to come".

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