World Cup plan aims to put Kiwi bottoms in seats

Photo / Sarah Ivey

The cost of stumping up the cash for a seat at next year's Rugby World Cup final would be beyond the reach of some Kiwi rugby fans, but was relatively normal by international standards, the man charged with organising the event said.

Ticket prices to next year's cup final at Eden Park range from $390 to $1250 with semi final tickets starting from $48 for children and $95 for adults.

Elsewhere adult tickets start from about $30 for pool matches at venues across New Zealand.

"The reality is that the cost of tickets to some matches may be beyond them but they are going to be able to get to the other matches," Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden told a media conference in Auckland this afternoon.

Applications for tickets to rugby's showpiece tournament will open on April 27, marking 500 days until the tournament begins.

There will be three ticket sales "phases", beginning with applications for Venue Pool Packs (tickets for all pool matches at a chosen venue) and Team Pool Packs (tickets for all pool matches for a chosen team.)

Rugby fans could opt into a pricing plan to help pay off their venue or team pool pack in monthly instalments across six months.

The offer was exclusive to New Zealanders.

The economic impact for New Zealand in hosting the cup had been put at about $1.25 billion, and in 2007 was the most successful tournament in Rugby World Cup history, with two million tickets sold.

However, Prime Minister John Key said he expected the spin-offs to remain well after the cup was won.

"This will rank right up there with their (New Zealanders) best moments... and will be remembered long after they have paid their credit card bill," he said.

Meanwhile the backing song for the cup's ticketing campaign has also been revealed as Kiwi rock band The Feelers' version of the 1990 song Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones.

The song will feature in an advertisement urging fans to pre-register their interest for tickets. The campaign is being supported by several well known Kiwis including Jonah Lomu, Valerie Vili and Jeremy Wells.