World Cup: Fancy a blocked view? Not a problem

Dressed up rugby fans with big wigs, flags and banners take up a lot of the viewing space. Photo / Natalie Slade

Overwhelming demand for Rugby World Cup tickets - especially Ireland games - has seen stadiums put seats with partially blocked views on sale.

At the halfway point of the pool round, nearly half a million people have attended games. The total number of tickets sold has jumped to 1.28 million, and revenue from those sales has reached $254.5 million.

Enthusiastic turnouts in Auckland, Hamilton and Napier meant four of the weekend's seven games were played before capacity crowds, and tickets have run out for eight more pool games.

To see the Irish perform again in the first round, supporters will have to settle for an obstructed view.

Rugby NZ 2011 spokesman Mike Jaspers said he was confident the target of $268.5 million in total sales would be met.

"We're right on track. For us, this is evidence that regions in particular are getting behind the Rugby World Cup. It's really exciting to see so many great gates at those provincial venues."

Whangarei's Northland Events Centre will be full for the second time in a row tomorrow evening when Tonga play Japan, and Napier's McLean Park has also sold out both of its pool matches.

Eden Park is selling discounted tickets for the New Zealand v France game on Saturday and for Samoa v Fiji on Sunday.

The World Cup website said that because 20 per cent of the view was blocked, 20 per cent had been discounted, bringing prices to between $180 and $287 for Saturday's game and between $61 and $78 for Sunday's.

Stadium Otago has also put "impeded view" seats on sale for Ireland's game against Italy, which sold out quickly after the Irish side caused the tournament's first major upset. Yesterday, eager fans grabbed the last of the seats for Ireland's game against Russia on Sunday.

Eden Park is on track to sell out its 60,000 seats at every remaining game. The England v Scotland clash on October 1 is the only pool game there with tickets remaining.

Meanwhile, travel agents are selling their tickets at discount as they try to unload the last of their stock.

Two category C tickets to the semifinals in Auckland, worth $1000, have been offered by House of Travel for $900 - despite the travel agent having paid premiums to secure them.

The tickets must be bought as part of a travel package, but unlike previous deals, House of Travel is offering the tickets as the baseline to add accommodation or transport as needed.

Retail director Brent Thomas said all World Cup travel and hospitality agents had dropped their prices and House of Travel had to respond.

The travel agent had a few hundred semifinals tickets left to sell, he said. It had less than 100 finals tickets left, but was not carrying any stock for the quarter-finals.

Even Aucklanders were choosing to book accommodation, and the reservations had piled up in the past four weeks, Mr Thomas said.

"But during the semifinals, I imagine Auckland will look to be as busy as opening weekend, and the finals will be huge. That's just going to be jam-packed."

The biggest groups were flying in just before the semifinals, he said, and there would be a huge movement of New Zealanders from all over.