More seats planned for the world final

SYDNEY - Engineers are investigating methods of increasing the capacity at Sydney's Olympic Stadium amid disquiet over the availability of tickets for its prime attraction next year - the World Cup final.

If the plans go ahead, the capacity will increase from about 79,000 to 85,000 in time for the climax of the rugby showcase on November 22 at the renamed Telstra Stadium.

The seats will be added at the northern and southern ends of the ground, giving more fans an opportunity to see the latter stages of the 48-match tournament.

The stadium originally had a capacity of 110,000 for the Olympics in 2000, but seating at either end of the complex was removed last year for financial reasons, despite opposition from the Australian Rugby Union, which wanted the original capacity maintained until after the World Cup final.

The ARU's general manager of commercial operations, Brian Thorburn, said yesterday that the organisation supported the move.

"We would be delighted to see the capacity increased.

"We could certainly fill the stadium at that capacity for the Bledisloe Cup and, in all likelihood, the seven games for the World Cup scheduled for the stadium."

It will stage four of the cup's eight "prime" matches - the opening game and ceremony, the semifinals and the final.

Stadium chief executive Ken Edwards warned it could prove difficult to complete the work in time for the cup.

Any increase in capacity would require modifications to the original design of the roofs, although that could be delayed and the extra seats added as a priority.

Meanwhile, the ARU's ticketing programme for the seven-week tournament has attracted some criticism a day after its release.

An editorial in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald claimed the ballot system to secure tickets for matches in the knockout stage of the tournament was flawed.

To be eligible for prime matches - including the quarter-finals, semifinals and final - fans had to buy tickets for pool games to have a chance in the computerised draw next February.

Only 3559 of the estimated 79,542 tickets for the final are available to Australian sports fans without rugby club affiliations.

"It will disappoint many members of the public that they will face the uncertainty of a ballot, where the odds of winning a chance to buy a ticket are long," the paper said.

"A great public event such as the World Cup involves - apart from the large sums invested by the organisers - a very considerable use of public, taxpayer-supported facilities."

The event's success depends to a great extent on broad public support.

"It runs contrary to these considerations when access to tickets is not free and open to all."

New Zealand supporters have been allocated 3100 seats for the final, although it is still unclear how and when these will be released.

The offer was part of a peace offering from the ARU after the New Zealand union lost its role as a sub-host in April.

- NZPA