Bernard Lapasset: With the winning ticket?
On April 27, 500 days out from the start of the tournament, the first batch of Rugby World Cup 2011 match tickets will go on sale.
At the launch in Auckland on Tuesday, the event organisers Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Limited announced details of the ticketing programme for the seventh Rugby World Cup. Under the call to arms "You gotta be there", it will feature three different phases during 2010 which will be predominately application-based.
Over one million tickets available for public sale via the official tournament website www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets.
The first phase of sales. starting on April 27, will see applications open for ticket packages by Venue (tickets for all pool matches at a specific venue) and Team (tickets for all pool matches for a specific team) with over 750,000 tickets available to purchase globally.
This first release also includes a priority access period for the loyal Rugby family that week-in-week-out supports the Game and the New Zealand Rugby community. This group will have access to around one third of available tickets during the first phase.
The second phase will see individual tickets released for every match except the semi-finals and Final (which will be sold through a ballot system). This second phase is expected to commence in August or September 2010.
The final phase will enable fans who applied for tickets in phase one or two to elect to enter the ballot system for tickets to the semi-finals and the Final. This process is expected to open in November 2010. Any remaining tickets will go on general sale in 2011.
"Today's announcement of the official ticketing programme is a significant milestone for Rugby World Cup 2011 and of interest for supporters around the world. Rugby is enjoying continued success globally through its amazing diversity of tournaments and on April 27 Rugby fans from Auckland to Adelaide, Cape Town to Cardiff, Moscow to Milan and everywhere in between will be able to apply for Rugby World Cup tickets," said Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset.
"Rugby World Cup represents the pinnacle of the Game and each Tournament has added a proud chapter in its history. Rugby World Cup is the prime revenue source for the IRB and has led to over GBP 300m ($450m) of investment in the Game globally in the last decade. It has also been of great economic benefit to the host nations in terms of revenue, international visitors and global exposure.
"Some of the Game's greatest moments have occurred at Rugby World Cups and I am sure this will continue to be the case in the future, including 2011 in New Zealand."
The overall success of the event depends largely on a policy of reasonable pricing, which acknowledges the prestigious nature of the event while keeping it affordable and accessible to the general public.
At the outset the price policy is designed around two main principles: classifying pool matches into price levels based on appeal, and grading seating into four different categories.
A large range of prices are available to suit all budgets. The cheapest tickets are NZ$15 ($10.70) to encourage a broad range of people to attend the venues and experience Rugby World Cup 2011.
More key ticketing information:
- Children's prices are available for all pool matches and the Bronze Final.
- Children can attend 28 pool matches for NZ$15-20 ($10.70 - 14).
- 20 per cent of all tickets are NZ$50 ($35) or lower.
- Two-thirds (32 out of 48) of all matches are at or below domestic Test match prices in New Zealand.
- Prices for major pool matches and knockout matches are comparable with those from RWC 2007.
- 500,000 tickets are available in the lowest price categories.
- 10,000 tickets are available for the Final at NZ$390 ($275).
At the launch New Zealand Prime Minister John Key unveiled the first events to form part of the nationwide cultural Festival, which will be wrapped around the 45-day Tournament, providing a unique and memorable New Zealand welcome for New Zealanders and international travellers.
"During RWC 2011 New Zealand will be in celebration mode, with a nationwide Festival that showcases the best of New Zealand's people, food and wine, cultures and landscapes," said Mr Key.
"The Festival will engage locals and visitors alike, giving New Zealanders a chance to discover more about their country and enriching the New Zealand experience for visitors. I encourage every region of New Zealand to make the most of this opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world, and to have a great time while we do it."
The first Festival events and attractions have been posted on the New Zealand government's dedicated Tournament website www.nz2011.govt.nz, and the programme will continue to grow to an expected 1000 events around the country. An official Festival launch is planned for September 2010.
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