Magic target relying on cheap seats

Photo / Sarah Ivey

All remaining Rugby World Cup tickets go on sale on Monday, and it's first come, first served.

Almost 700,000 tickets were left 69 days before the opening ceremony.

Organisers said yesterday they had sold just over 900,000 tickets worth $200 million.

The sales are two-thirds of the target in ticket numbers, and three-quarters of the target revenue.

Tournament boss Martin Snedden recently told the Weekend Herald the most expensive tickets had been selling - probably because people interpreted high price as short supply.

He said yesterday that there were many cheap seats left.

"There are still lots of tickets available in the lowest-priced seating categories. For more than half the pool matches, this means fans can buy tickets for as little as $31 or $41 and take their kids for half that price."

Most matches other than the final, including the semifinals and the quarter-finals, would have tickets available, he said.

Outside the knockout rounds, tickets for the New Zealand-France match at Eden Park are among the most keenly sought and the game expected to be close to sold out.

The tournament's sales target is 1.35 million tickets - or 84 per cent capacity - leaving 250,000 tickets unsold.

The revenue target is $268 million, for a direct tournament loss of $39 million, two-thirds of which will be met by taxpayers. The tournament is paying the International Rugby Board $150 million in hosting fees.

IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said the tournament had reached its final countdown.

"The Rugby World Cup 2011 is on track to be a successful tournament."

Ticket sales hit a snag after it became necessary to refund all those sold for Christchurch matches because of the earthquake.

The tournament had made 920,000 sales before the earthquake, at a value of $189 million.

The latest figures show it has regained 110,000 ticket sales after making 130,000 Christchurch refunds - with higher-value tickets.

The average price of tickets sold is $222, compared with $205 before the quake.

Prices for tickets going on sale on Monday range from $15 to almost $800.