WRC2011 ticket sales

[Muttonbird]

"Kiwis sweat on Aussie fans for World Cup AAP - August 27, 2010, 2:57 pm

Rugby World Cup organisers in New Zealand admit Australian ticket sales for next year's showpiece have been disappointing.

Figures of phase one ticket sales were released on Thursday with 503,000 tickets sold, a fifth of them overseas, raking in $NZ76 million ($A60.32 million). But the response from Australia has been underwhelming, with only 2000 Australian Follow Your Team ticket packages sold, compared with 3500 for South African supporters.

On Friday, RNZ 2011 boss Martin Snedden told the New Zealand Herald he expected more interest from Australian supporters. "There's a suggestion rugby has been on a bit of a downer in Australia, so maybe that's affected things a bit," Snedden said. Some wonder whether the Wallabies' mediocre record in recent years is a key factor. The Wallabies are in the midst of a nine-match losing streak against the All Blacks and have not lifted the Tri-Nations Cup since 2001 and the Bledisloe Cup since 2002.

Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill told the Herald that Australia's proximity to New Zealand has lulled fans into thinking they can leave buying tickets until later.

New Zealand will renew its attempt to lure Australian supporters across the Tasman by stationing a giant rugby ball at Sydney's Circular Quay. Phase Two tickets go on sale on September 10, with about 400,000 individual tickets for sale."

What's the word on the street in Australia? Is O'Neill right or is there really not much interest out there?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I have a RWC ticket pack, but opted for the Eden Park one, because I'm not only interested in the Aussie games, but others also.

 

[Muttonbird]

It'll be good to see you.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm really looking forward to getting over there. Never been to NZ before.

 

[Gnostic]

There are a lot of reasons for the lack of uptake IMO the two biggest being:-

1. Hard financial times, the GFC and falling disposable income make luxuries like this unreachable.

2. The Wallabies dire play. The fact that they are unwatchable at the moment to all but the dire hard fans like myself and the others who lurk around here. IMO winning isn't as important at playing well, the fact that the Wallabies do neither doesn't inspire anybody to travel to watch them especially is point 1 is a factor.

 

[Tangawizi]

I have got 2 tickets for all the Aussie Pool matches. Probably just go the first 3 games and give away the tickets to the Russia match to someone in the pub after the USA game.

It has all the ingredients of a great trip. Rugby, drinking, snowboarding & repeat! Think I will head to Mt Hutt for a few days after the Italy match, then get up to Auckland for Ireland game, have a few more days on the snowboard at Whakapapa, watch us flog the USA in Wellington and head home to dry out.

 

[TOCC]

i went for the Christchurch pack instead of just the wallabies

 

[I like to watch]

how do you buy them & how much?

 

[MrTimms]

Prices vary, buy here.

There is a new release of individual tickets on September 10 (up till now it has only been packages).

 

[I like to watch]

Thanks for that!
Looks like the piggy bank is about to get smashed up.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Don't you just dream of the old days (RWC87) when it was all about seeing a decent game of footy without all the commercial hype, and you did not need to see the bank manager before you turned up to a test match?

To think that a RWC semi was played at Concord Oval - Aust v Frogs - 87.

Apparently NZ is going to lose a motza on hosting this RWC, and are looking to minimising their losses by keeping prices high for the pilgrims.

According to my kiwi mates (the few that are still over there) the GFC has hit NZ the NZ Economy pretty badly. I only hope that the kiwis are not scared off by the high prices. (Most of the kiwis I know are stingy bastards particularly when it is their turn to shout.)

I only hope that the games are not played in front of 1/2 empty stadia.

Gotta wonder how we managed to make nearly 50 million profit from RWC 03 in a country where Rugby Union is seen as elitist, leather patch wearing rah rah sport, at best the 3rd or 4th most popular winter sport after AFL, NRL and Soccer.

Rugby is a religion over there. How can they stuff it up so badly that they lose money, despite a fair amount of Government funding?

 

[Nusadan]

The Kiwis have long memories of being pushed out of the 2003 World Cup as a co-host, (due to stadia advertising issues if I recollect rightly), and their pig headness saw them thus hosting all the games by themselves this time around instead of sharing them with Australia in a deal where NZ Rugby would still have come out ahead and perhaps break even if they had allocated games to Australia...takes no financial whiz to work that out!

 

[Muttonbird]

...the GFC has hit NZ the NZ Economy pretty badly...
...I only hope that the games are not played in front of 1/2 empty stadia...
...Rugby is a religion over there. How can they stuff it up so badly that they lose money...

...no it hasn't - the NZ economy has been crap for 45 years...

...it's possible, especially for Aussie pool matches...

...NZ population is 4,375,976. Kind of small for an event such as this...

 

[Muttonbird]

...takes no financial whiz to work that out!

Like the financial whiz in charge at the Bank of Scotland last year?

 

[cyclopath]

Doesn't it "cost" the host nation more these days? Maybe that has a bit to do with the relative profit / loss? I must confess I don't understand the whole financial structure of the RWC now compared to then, but I bet we would not make as much if we held it now.
Maybe they should do some Lord of the Rings themed pool matches, to get the crossover Rugby / Fantasy geek crowd in....that'd be good for a few hundgy!!

 

[Nusadan]

Think the upfront fee to the IRB of well over 100 million USD has a lot to do with it...

 

[cyclopath]

Think the upfront fee to the IRB of well over 100 million USD has a lot to do with it...

Does NZ even have $100 million? I suppose Peter Jackson and Steve Williams could pony up for it.

 

[Nusadan]

Wonder with Aussie fat lambs reaching $200 each for the export market, perhaps NZ can expect a 'lamb led' recovery...as long the blokes there let nature take its normal course by not 'interfering'...

 

[cyclopath]

Wonder with Aussie fat lambs reaching $200 each for the export market, perhaps NZ can expect a 'lamb led' recovery...as long the blokes there let nature take its normal course by not 'interfering'...

That post...bargepole...not touching...

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Think the upfront fee to the IRB of well over 100 million USD has a lot to do with it...

So it is these gouging bunch of old farts that are to blame (thanks to Will Carling) behind the loss.

How much of this "fee" actually goes to developing the game worldwide, and how much is to pay for the lifestyle of the old farts and inefficient administration and overhead?

Would really like to see the audited annual accounts of the IRB to see where it all goes.