Allblackstours.com urges fans hunting for tickets to see Sonny Bill Williams and the All Blacks at the World Cup to do their homework. Photo / Getty Images
Allblackstours.com urges fans hunting for tickets to see Sonny Bill Williams and the All Blacks at the World Cup to do their homework. Photo / Getty Images
Out-of-this-world prices asked for finals after Britain decides not to make resale of tickets illegal.
Ticket prices for this year's Rugby World Cup are soaring on auction sites, with one seat at the final on sale for 59,000 pounds ($121,000) - many times its original value.
Ticket exchange website stubhub.co.uk is flogging off the ticket, which has a face value of 715 pounds.
Dan Boyd of allblackstours.com made the discovery while investigating what was on offer for people thinking of heading to the United Kingdom for the competition which kicks off in September.
"I was just trying to work out what's still out there for people to buy and some of the prices are just ludicrous."
On another website, in the secondary market, he found a ticket to the final going for US$12,000 ($16,000).
When New Zealand hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2011, the Government banned third party on-selling.
However, the Telegraph reported that the British Government declined to make the resale of tickets illegal, sparking concerns by cup organisers that criminal gangs would hold supporters to ransom.
Mr Boyd said with tickets to both the semis and finals now sold out, prices on the black and secondary markets - including viagogo.com - would only go up.
He said allblackstours.com offered a package deal - including flights, accommodation and tickets - to the semifinals and final for $15,995.
The trip will be hosted by 2011 final hero Stephen Donald.
Mr Boyd said he wouldn't be surprised to see people paying exorbitant amounts for tickets, especially once the hype kicks in closer to game time.
Stephen Donald is hosting a package-deal trip for the company to the sold-out finals.
"Some people would just type in 'tickets' and that would pop up and people will just buy it, not thinking any different ... people just get sucked in. Do a bit of homework or go through the official channels and you end up getting flights and everything for next to nothing compared to 59,000 pounds."
Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford was shocked to hear the ticket price but said it could be a case of people opposed to ticket scalpers sabotaging the bidding.
As for the website, he had used stubhub.co.uk before to buy NFL tickets without any problems. He said there would be nothing stopping people from selling the tickets in New Zealand either, however Trade Me would ask to see the ticket first.
For the Herald's full coverage of build-up to the Cup click here.
