Record ticket sales thrill hosts
World Cup officials last night revealed that a surge in interest since the tournament kicked off on October 10 in Sydney had carried sales to an unprecedented 1.9 million midway through the round-robin preliminaries.
Australian Rugby Union managing director John O'Neill confirmed the numbers had easily surpassed expectations.
He predicted the overall World Cup attendance record of 1.6 million in Europe four years ago would fall before the final at Telstra Stadium on November 22.
Accumulated crowds for the first 20 pool matches reached 635,471.
But with a further 20 pool games to be played -- including several at the highest-capacity venues in Sydney and Melbourne -- and eight finals matches tipped to draw a further 500,000, the ARU is hoping spectator numbers will reach 1.8 million.
"It's been unbelievable," O'Neill said.
"Look at a game like Scotland and the USA in Brisbane. We sold 51,000 tickets and the crowd was 47,000. It's been phenomenal. We've sold 87 per cent of the tickets available.
"Our most bullish budget was to sell 1.8 million. That included an expected 450,000 allocation to be taken up by the International Rugby Board for overseas visitors and travel packages, sponsors, corporate guests and other VIPs.
"But the IRB has taken up only 300,000, which means 1.6 million have been sold domestically.
"Leading into the tournament, we were selling around 4000 a day. Now we're doing up to 15,000 a day. There's real momentum there."
O'Neill admitted the decision organisers last year to strip New Zealand of sub-hosting rights had contributed to the massive success on Australian shores.
"When we went from staging 24 games to 48, we put a lot of work into designing a match schedule and logistical layout that would embrace the nation," he said.
"The nation has reciprocated by embracing the tournament. They have turned up in their droves, and they are clearly not all rugby tragics."
Herald Sun
