Rugby World Cup organisers have issued a fresh warning against buying from unofficial sources after announcing record demand for next summer’s tournament, with more than 5m applications for tickets.
England Rugby 2015’s chief executive, Debbie Jevans, said she was “thrilled” with the response, after 23 matches sold out altogether and all 48 sold out in at least one of the pricing categories.
Demand was heaviest for the knockout stages and for matches involving England, with 500,000 people applying for tickets for the final and 650,000 tickets requested for England’s group match with Australia at Twickenham.
But organisers also highlighted the fact that matches had sold out in Brighton, Gloucester, Exeter and Manchester as evidence that demand was high across the country. Tickets for the five matches at the Olympic Stadium, including the traditionally hard-to-market third-place play-off, have also sold well.
Fans will find out on Saturday which tickets they have been allocated in the ballot, with money to be taken from their accounts two days later.
Joanna Manning-Cooper, England Rugby 2015’s director of marketing and communications, was hopeful of avoiding a backlash from disappointed fans who missed out on the tickets. “There will be disappointment on Saturday. Not everyone will get the tickets they wanted,” she said. “But we think people will understand when they see the numbers. People will do the maths and realise that supply has massively exceeded demand in some areas.”
Those who miss out on tickets altogether will be granted priority when those remaining go back on the market on a first come, first served basis in November. Some of the matches that have already sold out may also have a handful of extra tickets released once stadium configurations are finalised.
The sports minister, Helen Grant, said she was “delighted” with the response. “I am sure the atmosphere will be absolutely electric and England 2015 will further cement this country’s reputation as one of the best in the world for hosting major sports events.”
But the huge demand for the biggest matches has also fuelled fears that the secondary market will be swamped with tickets from those looking to make a profit.
Organisers failed in their attempts to lobby the government to introduce legislation that would have made the resale of tickets a criminal offence, as it was for the London 2012 Olympics. Instead they will have to hope that warning fans who buy tickets on websites such as Seatwave and Viagogo that they may be denied entry will be enough. An official platform, to launch next spring and continue throughout the tournament, will cater for those who want to resell unwanted tickets at face value.
“Our message is ‘buyer beware’. The terms and conditions do give us the right to refuse entry,” said Manning-Cooper. “We will be keeping a close eye on the secondary market. Our message is don’t risk spending vast amounts of money for a ticket that might not even exist.”
In addition to the 950,000 tickets sold in the September sale, 340,000 tickets were sold by England Rugby 2015 to fans through rugby clubs in England and Wales during an earlier sales window. More than 160,000 tickets have been sold to overseas fans, while hospitality packages – handled by the International Rugby Board – have already sold out at Twickenham, Exeter and Brighton.
Organisers also insist that they have done their best to make the event an inclusive one, despite ticket prices as high as £715 for the most attractive fixtures.
“Some of the pricing at the top end was high but at the bottom end it was low. We’ve sold about 50,000 tickets to kids at £7 or £15,” said Manning Cooper. Before tickets went on sale, Jevans confidently predicted that all 48 matches in 13 venues would sell out.
