Rugby: Surge in season tickets attributed to World Cup

Priority purchasing for Rugby World Cup tickets has seen memberships for New Zealand's Super 14 franchises increase significantly.

Super 14 season ticket holders will get priority booking opportunities when it comes to purchasing World Cup tickets, as long as they buy their season tickets by February 8.

All five Super 14 franchises have recorded an upsurge of interest in season tickets this year - which are also valid for home Air New Zealand Cup games - with the Highlanders memberships up 289 per cent on the same time last year.

The Crusaders already have twice as many members as their entire number for last season, the Chiefs have also exceeded their total membership in 2009 and the Hurricanes are 600 members ahead of the same time 12 months ago.

"You would have to think that the Rugby World Cup ticket issue is at least a positive influence on that," RWC chief executive Martin Snedden said. "People seem to be waking up to the fact this is a good chance for them to get World Cup tickets.

"There's a mindset shift happening here. Now that we have clicked over into 2010 and we are starting to talk about the Rugby World Cup next year, the whole immediacy and urgency of the thing has lifted considerably. People realise it's not far away and are working out ways to get tickets. Here's an opportunity."

World Cup tickets are being sold in three phases.

The first is venue or team packs, which go on sale to the general public in April. But season ticket holders have a priority booking period, probably starting in March, when they can apply for these.

This will entitle them to one ticket to each of the pool matches at their home stadium as well as one quarter-final in either Christchurch or Wellington. They can also nominate up to three other season ticket holders to sit with.

The second phase of tickets will be sold late this year when fans can apply for individual tickets to all matches except the semifinals and final.

The third phase will see tickets for the semifinals and final go to a ballot process at the end of the year or early in 2011.

Hurricanes chief executive Greg Peters said they had already signed up 5000 members and were looking to exceed the 7000 they had last season.

"It's a combination of factors but certainly priority access to World Cup tickets is a big component of that," he said. "It's the best opportunity for New Zealanders to get tickets because they would virtually be guaranteed this way.

"There are other factors, though. We now have a settled landscape with the future of the Air New Zealand Cup having been decided and the Super 15 starting in 2011. It means we can now talk about rugby for a change rather than competition structures and what happens off the pitch."

Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach agreed the spike in interest was the result of a number of factors.

The completion of the new Deans Stand, which was opened last week, and a reduction in the price of a ticket were also factors alongside access to World Cup tickets.

How they're tracking

Season ticket sales for New Zealand's Super 14 teams:

Blues/Auckland
2010: 4800
Final 2009 figure: 6000

Chiefs/Waikato
2010: 2350
Final 2009 figure: 2132

Hurricanes/Wellington
2010: 5000
Same time in 2009: 4400

Crusaders/Canterbury
2010: 2500
Final 2009 figure: 1200

Highlanders/Otago
2010: 646
Same time in 2009: 223