Thousands get their World Cup tickets off the net

Thousands of New Zealanders have bought tickets to the rugby World Cup in Australia over the internet, snubbing the International Rugby Board's (IRB) overpriced travel packages in the process.

A special allocation of 75,000 tickets for New Zealanders was tagged with royalty fees and minimum-stay hotel restrictions, meaning a cost of around A$6500 ($7410) for a four-day weekend for the final - compared to A$1300 to A$1600 for the Bledisloe Cup match weekend in Sydney in late July.

New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) estimates last month were that only about 2000 travel packages had been sold in New Zealand - well below what might be expected for the world championship of the country's favourite sport, on their back doorstep.

But since then many more thousands have taken advantage of the latest allocation of tickets to the Australian public - which they have been able to do over the internet as long as they provide an Australian residential address. They can also then organise their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill said it was impossible to quantify how many New Zealanders were coming, though the estimates provided to the ARU by Rugby World Cup Ltd have 10,000 attending from New Zealand and the Pacific. The total overseas visitor estimate is 40,000.

O'Neill said when tickets became available online from August 18, the effect for New Zealand games was obvious.

"We estimate thousands of tickets went to New Zealanders on the net because New Zealand games went through the roof," he said today.

"The New Zealand-Wales game was a virtual sellout and ticket sales boomed for the New Zealand-Tonga match.

"You look at trends and you look at the day sales went online and shoooomm... And it wasn't Australians. We are comfortable a lot of New Zealanders have bought tickets."

The IRB have failed to clarify the issue of the New Zealand special allocation, which most parties had originally thought would not attract the A$1000 licensing fee and minimum-stay hotel requirements.

The ARU had been involved in correspondence with the IRB last month, but had passed on the issue to the NZRU, who asked the ruling body last month to clarify the position.

An NZRU spokesman said the union were still awaiting a response from the IRB.

O'Neill said today he was no longer participating in discussions over it, but said tickets from the special allocation were being sold in the "general market place."

"I think it's a dead issue," he said.

O'Neill was critical of the pricing of the New Zealand tickets last month, but said he was appreciative of the commercial dilemma the IRB were in, with their contractual arrangements with Qantas, IMG sports management and appointed travel agents.

He said if the IRB and RWC Ltd had consulted with the ARU earlier, the impasse might have been avoided.

O'Neill said today 1.65 million tickets had been sold for the tournament so far.

The ARU have estimated sales of 1.85 million and O'Neill said he was optimistic of passing that mark and getting close to the 2 million mark. No match is sold out yet, but many are close.

He said the IRB would be returning a few thousand tickets from their allocation in October and that would mean sellouts at a number of games.

In addition to all matches involving the Australian team, the New Zealand-Wales game in Sydney on November 2 and the France-Scotland game there on October 25 were close to capacity.

Sales for the early New Zealand matches so far are: versus Italy at Melbourne, October 11, 38,000 (capacity 56,000); v Canada at Melbourne, October 17, 32,000; v Tonga at Brisbane, October 24, 40,000 (capacity 52,000); v Wales at Sydney, November 2, 75,000 (capacity 82,000); quarterfinal, Melbourne, 41,000.

- NZPA