Ticket sales brisk for Rugby World Cup 2011
28 Apr 2010
New Zealand has confirmed its reputation as a rugby-loving nation - just one day after tickets went on sale to the public, the 2011 Rugby World Cup has already become the country’s biggest money-making event.
On the day that marked 500-days-to-go until the event, fans flooded an official website applying for tickets and in the first six hours demand had reached nearly 90,000.
The number was expected to jump further as international buyers logged on overnight.
2005 Lions Tour
Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said RWC had overtaken the British and Irish Lions tour of 2005 as New Zealand’s highest grossing event.
"The Lions tour grossed NZ$32 million, which is the biggest grossing event New Zealand has ever had. Well, we've hit the NZ$40m mark today."
The figure included demand for about NZ$16m worth of tickets yesterday (27.4.2010) as well as earlier applications from global fans and New Zealand rugby clubs, box holders and season ticket holders.
International demand
An official British travel agent reported that sales were 37% ahead of what they were at the same time leading up to the Rugby World Cup in France in 2007.
Mr Snedden said he was confident preparations were on track, with the Eden Park upgrade scheduled to be completed this year.
The New Zealand Government is preparing to introduce Rugby World Cup empowering legislation this week giving it sweeping powers to over-ride normal processes if required in the lead up to the tournament.
World Cup Ambassadors
The government has also announced the appointment of rugby legends Jonah Lomu, Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, David Kirk, Andy Haden and Andrew Mehrtens as World Cup Ambassadors.
The six All Black greats have signed up to help the government make the most of the opportunity of hosting what will be one of the world’s biggest sports events.
Rugby World Cup ministers Murray McCully and Gerry Brownlee announced the 2011 Ambassadors and a New Zealand 2011 Business Club programme at a special event to mark the 500-days-to-go milestone.
85,000 visitors
"An estimated 85,000 visitors will come here, and billions will be watching on television. Our challenge is to make the most of that attention: to showcase what we do well as a country; to build and strengthen business relationships, and to attract tourists," said McCully.
Lomu, Fitzpatrick and Kirwan were already working overseas to promote New Zealand as a great place to visit and do business, he said.
A programme of events for the next 500 days was being developed, including a major promotional effort with David Kirk in Australia on the eve of the September Bledisloe Cup match, and to coincide
with the "one year to go" mark, said McCully.
New Zealand 2011 Business Club
Minister Brownlee launched the New Zealand 2011 Business Club - an online platform to connect overseas business people interested in attending the Rugby World Cup with their Kiwi counterparts.
"The local rugby club has always been a centre of the community where business alliances are forged. The internet gives us the capacity to replicate that club ethos online," Brownlee said.
The club would enable regions and businesses throughout New Zealand to get information on visitors coming to their area, including their business and social interests, so they could offer to host them.
Mr Brownlee said the New Zealand 2011 Government Ambassadors had been recruiting overseas business people to join the business club, and now local business people needed to do their part in signing up to host visitors during the Rugby World Cup.
More information:
RWC 2011 hits new milestone
RWC 2011 centres on the ball
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