Our View: Enough with the rugby rip-offs

In one month's time, the world's sporting attention will turn to New Zealand for rugby's World Cup.
Thousands of spectators will be heading our way and the media attention focused on New Zealand will be huge.
The tourism, accommodation, food and retail sectors, in particular, are surely looking forward to the six-week Cup period with some glee as they look to turn around a tough economic year.
But there is a growing feeling emerging that when it comes to value for money, the Rugby World Cup is hardly leading the way with fiscal restraint.
The entire adidas All Blacks jersey fiasco is just one example.
The sporting goods manufacturer is looking to cash in on the All Blacks' popularity with local and overseas fans by fleecing customers of $220 for the privilege of owning and wearing the authentic product.
Retailers and fans alike are angry and taking their money offshore to purchase the same jersey online from the United States or England.
Adidas is not alone in seeking to cash in on the World Cup.
There have been plenty of tales of home owners or accommodation providers ramping up their rates and even evicting guests so they can milk every last cent out of the rugby fans headed our way.
And one wonders whether cafes and restaurants have plans to extort extra cash from their customers.
Cup organisers are not immune from this malaise, having started the rot with their ticket prices for this event.
If Rugby World Cup chief Martin Snedden wonders why sales are not higher, he only has to look at the prices being charged.
In New Zealand, we are fortunate that top-level rugby is not a once-every-four-years event.
With the Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations and British Lions tours, Kiwi rugby fans are spoilt with quality rugby offerings.
Last Saturday, $45 would have been enough to secure a seat to the All Blacks taking on world number 2-ranked Australia at Eden Park.
Even ITM Cup games can provide top-level rugby for a fanatical nation.
So why would fans with any sort of rugby nous pay between $31 and $72 to watch minnows Fiji and Namibia play in Rotorua in the early pool play of the cup.
If you want to watch the All Blacks play Tonga in the tournament opener, you are looking at between $123 and $460 to secure a seat.
So it was $45 to watch a game against Australia or $123 to watch Tonga?
It is becoming clear that Kiwis are getting annoyed that the event they have been waiting for since 1987 is seeking to lighten their wallets at every turn.
We, and our visitors, want value for money and want the rip-offs to end.