2011 RWC: $750 tickets and budget blowout fears

Richie McCaw's All Blacks will be expensive to watch if they reach the final at Eden Park. Photos / Herald on Sunday, Getty Images

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Rugby fans will have to fork out an average of $750 for a seat at the 2011 Rugby World Cup final, official documents have revealed for the first time.

The new Government is "nervous" about picking up the tab for a hefty blow-out if punters won't pay up for the pricey tickets, according to documents released under the Official Information Act.

The papers show ministers have been warned that the tournament losses, already forecast at $30 million, could increase further. Ministers have been told the global economic crisis, which may lower numbers of overseas fans coming for the cup, presents a "major risk".

While unseated tickets for some early pool matches between low-ranked teams may cost as little as $5 or $10 in venues like Whangarei, New Plymouth and Invercargill, organisers are relying on wealthy overseas visitors to buy most of the Auckland final and semifinals tickets.

They hope locals will philosophically accept that they may not be able to afford the big knock-out games, and will instead make up the numbers at the less important pool matches in hard-to-fill stadiums.

"We've got to rely on New Zealanders getting caught up in the event and really enjoying the fact that it's a whole festival, it's 20 teams, not just one team," said Martin Snedden, the RNZ 2011 chief executive.

"If the overriding view is that it's all about the All Blacks winning the World Cup, then we'll have trouble."

Steve Martin, secretary for Auckland's East Tamaki Rugby Football Club, said finals tickets were priced out of regular fans' reach.

"We'll be watching it on TV," he said. "That amount of money is just unrealistic."

But notes from a February 2 meeting said Rugby World Cup minister Murray McCully and associate minister Gerry Brownlee were "nervous about the risk around ticket revenue and tournament loss". The meeting came as the magnitude of Auckland Regional Council's losses on a David Beckham exhibition football match was just beginning to emerge.

At the meeting, Snedden asked them to think about wearing a bigger loss if it would promote a better quality tournament.

Taxpayers will be liable for two-thirds of any shortfall under an agreement between the Government and the NZRU, which will cover the remaining third.

Snedden said this weekend that the expected loss was still within the predicted $30m, but only barely.

"All of this is a constantly moving target, but that's our current forecast."

The impact of the global downturn was unknown, and might affect the number of foreign rugby tourists. "We are reliant on a significant number of overseas visitors coming, particularly for the last three weeks of the tournament," Snedden said.

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said he was comfortable with a balance being struck between reining in ticket prices and limiting the tournament's losses.

"I'm keen to see tickets as accessible as possible to New Zealanders, but we also have to run a tournament that doesn't leave the taxpayers seriously out of pocket."

McCully said he was being regularly updated on the budget status, but insisted he wasn't "lying awake worrying about it".

Between 60 and 80 per cent of tickets are projected to be bought by Kiwis, but seats at pricey finals matches will be mostly filled by visitors. Documents released said finals games would be "very expensive", but overseas fans would be prepared to pay the prices. Snedden confirmed tickets for the finals will average $750.

Semifinals are likely to average about $600. A range of four or five price options will be offered for most games.