Rugby World Cup passes million ticket sales mark

Earthquakes in New Zealand's South Island have failed to dampen enthusiasm for the 2011 Rugby World Cup with more than one million tickets having been sold for the event.
Set to be the biggest-ever crowd-puller for New Zealand, a surge in sales during the final phase of ticketing for the tournament, which opened to the general public on Monday, saw the 'magic million' mark passed yesterday.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011) Chief Executive Martin Snedden explains "this has been a tremendous start to our final ticketing campaign and we are thrilled with the way fans in New Zealand and around the world have responded."
RNZ 2011 is forecasting total sales revenue of NZ$268.5 million based on expected ticket sales of 1.35 million from the 48 tournament matches.
The sales in the final phase have boosted ticket revenue by NZ$17 million to NZ$220 million. This means RNZ 2011 has now reached 82% of its revenue target.
Over the last six weeks fans have purchased 211,000 tickets with a value of NZ$51 million.
As Snedden adds "this is a fantastic result and is about where we expected to be with little over two months until the tournament kicks-off."
Before RWC 2011, the highest revenue-generating event in New Zealand's history was the 2005 British and Irish Lions Tour, which grossed NZ$24 million.
Now, Snedden explains "we have achieved nine times the ticket revenue for that event (which) is very pleasing.
"Tickets are selling fast to many matches. 85,000 fans from over 100 countries are already coming so we urge New Zealand fans to get in quickly to avoid being disappointed. There is already limited availability in some seat categories while some categories for certain matches are exhausted.
"We expect ticket to continue to sell strongly from here as happened at Rugby World Cup in France in 2007 and Australia in 2003. Interest is clearly growing in the New Zealand Tournament and that is being helped by the RWC 2011 Roadshow which is touring throughout the country in July."
The 2011 Rugby World Cup begins on 9th September 2011.
Tickets can be purchased online at

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets