Sydney having no problem selling sevens tickets

Fans attend the Wellington Sevens. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Wellington is snubbing Sonny Bill Williams and co. but Sydney has lapped up sevens.

The Wellington tournament, which has pre-sold only 8000 tickets for next week's tournament, is tired. Sydney is fresh, and full of fighting talk.

Shifting the sevens from the Gold Coast to Sydney has worked a treat, with with tickets being snapped up and a 70,000 crowd predicted for the two day event on February 6 and 7.

Like Wellington the Gold Coast was struggling to pull a crowd but there are only 2000 tickets left for Sydney's Allianz Stadium.

"We've been pleasantly surprised that tickets have sold so well," ARU general manager of professional rugby Rob Clarke said.

"It doesn't shock us because we always believed Sydney, as a city which knows how to put on a great party and with its rugby heritage, would host an international class event."

The appearance of Olympic hopefuls including Quade Cooper, Henry Speight and Sonny Bill Williams is said to have boosted interest. But wait, there's more.

Clarke indicated Sydney wanted to take over from Hong Kong as the premier sevens tournament.

"Hong Kong has, for a long time, been known as a great event and a great destination," Clarke said.

"But if I think about Sydney as a city in summer, particularly for those in the northern hemisphere. What better destination for companies to hold conferences around the Sydney Sevens."