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Rugby World Cup 2015: Ticket sales slow for games staged at Wales' Millennium Stadium
Organisers say 18 games are unlikely to be balloted because of high demand, seven are being staged in Cardiff, including two Wales fixtures
The Millennium Stadium is struggling to sell tickets for next year’s Rugby World Cup according to organisers.
Demand for the tournament, hosted by England, saw queues forming online when the sales window opened on Friday morning.
But four days after the 17-day general sale began, the official ticketing website has published a “traffic light tool” detailing which matches are most in demand.
And of the 48 games taking place, 18 have been identified as “low demand” games, including seven staged in Cardiff, two of which are Wales fixtures, against Fiji and one of the play-off winners.
Cardiff was awarded the second highest number of games for the tournament after Twickenham, including two quarter-finals.
But a Pool D contest between France and Ireland is the only fixture at the Millennium Stadium which organisers believe “might result in a ballot,” if ticket applications outnumber seats.
The other Cardiff matches they say are “unlikely” to need a ballot system.
The slow response in Wales has been described by rugby pundit Brian Moore as “worrying.”
Speaking on Talksport radio the former England international said poor sales raised questions of why Wales was chosen to host World Cup games at all.
Welsh rugby fans have previously blasted ticket prices for the 2015 tournament, which were announced by the International Rugby Board (IRB) in December.
Wales will open their campaign against an undecided play-off winner at 2.30pm on Sunday, September 20, at the Millennium Stadium.
Child tickets for that match are available from £15, but the cheapest adult ticket is £50, rising to £175 for the most expensive tickets.
Wales’ second match sees them travel to Twickenham to face hosts England at 8pm on Saturday, September 26, with top-priced tickets for that match costing a whopping £315. Cheapest adult tickets start at £75.
Jim Strachan of Cowbridge-based travel company Strachan Sports said: “These events are so commercially viable now, with huge sponsorship partners and lucrative TV fees.
“There doesn’t seem to be a financial need for huge ticket prices. The prices are depressing and at the end of the day it is rugby fans who suffer.”
The IRB has defended its pricing policy, stating that more than one million tickets for Rugby World Cup 2015 will be made available at £100 or less and 500,000 at £50 or less.
IRB chief executive Brett Gosper said: “There are affordable and accessible options to suit every need.
“It’s a complex process but we’re happy with where we’ve ended up.”
Three of England’s four Pool A games have so far been identified as “high demand” games by ticket organisers, as has the World Cup Final itself.
Elsewhere sales are looking strong for matches in Leeds and Newcastle.
England 2015 said in a statement: “We are very pleased with demand for tickets to date.
“Our traffic-light tool is to help fans understand the levels of demand for tickets, and help them choose which matches to apply for.
“We’ve received a good level of applications for tickets for the Millennium Stadium already, and didn’t expect all our large venues to go to ballot in the very early stages of our sale.”
Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets are on general sale until 6pm on September 29.
Applicants will be informed of which tickets they have been successful in purchasing in October.
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