Test tickets on line but no hotel rooms

The two remaining Lions tests may officially be sold out, but tickets were still aplenty online yesterday.

Finding a place to stay could be tougher. Auckland and Wellington hotels were booked out for their respective test weekends. The only room available for the Wellington test tomorrow was the Bolton Hotel's presidential suite at $2500 a night.

Internet auction site TradeMe yesterday had 400 listings offering tickets for the Wellington test, Auckland vs Lions match next Tuesday and the final test in Auckland on July 9.

Terrace tickets for the final test fetched bids of up to $500 for a pair, although many auctions went without a bid. Bids for a hospitality package with two terrace tickets and four nights in a luxury Ponsonby penthouse reached up to $2400.

Demand was weaker for the final provincial match, although two terrace seats drew bids of up to $120. The rugby union has banned the resale of tickets, but some touts hoping to beat the policy were selling other items with the tickets thrown in "free".

Lions Hospitality, official supplier of packages for the tour, still had about 100 unsold places for the Auckland provincial, out of 1350 it was allocated by the union.

British ticket brokerage website clickfortickets.co.uk was also offering tickets for the final test in Auckland at prices ranging from 325 ($840) to 375 ($970). An Australian online broker, claiming to be authorised, was selling bronze seat tickets for $300 and platinum for $450 for both remaining tests.

A spokesman said the agency could sell seats at both grounds in blocks of 20.

Locally, test tickets were sold by the union for up to $300 each, and admission to the game against Auckland had a top price of $150.

- additional reporting: NZPA