World cup tickets.

[browner]

From the Irish Indo...........................

Sunday July 29 2007

BRENDAN FANNING

HOPES that a last batch of tickets for the Ireland versus Argentina World Cup pool game would be coming onto the market were effectively ruled out by RWC department head Kit McConnell last week.

The clash in Parc des Princes - where Ireland have never won in their 12 visits from 1974-1996 - was one of the first pool games to sell out. It was hoped that there would be some returns made available to the growing number of Irish fans who have already made travel plans without a match ticket, or who at this late stage are starting from scratch.

The Irish fans have waded in from the initial stages of the ticketing process and even the games against Namibia and Georgia, in the 35,200 capacity Chaban Delmas stadium in Bordeaux, are over 90 per cent full at this stage. The quarter-final in Cardiff, where Ireland would finish up if they qualify as a runner-up, is sold out.

"There won't be any more major releases for the Argentina game," McConnell said last week. "The tickets simply aren't there. We've worked through the process of any returns and any quota that wasn't taken up we've (already) put back onto the public market. We're not expecting any more significant returns.

"Whatever - if any - few tickets do become available will go immediately to those who have already registered on the RWC website.

"One of the big issues we've found is that, because of the huge demand, when we've gone out and said there are tickets available, and it's only been 50 or 100, you create an expectation and you could have 20-30,000 people trying to access those tickets at the same time. All you do is create a massive dissatisfaction."

The same applies to Ireland's game against France, where given the involvement of the host nation it was always going to be a subliminal shot at access, but with the Pumas having a relatively small following there may have been complacency in this country that there would be late availability.

"The Irish fans have a reputation of travelling and the ease with which they can get from Ireland to France has put massive pressure on those fixtures through every stage of the public ticketing process," McConnell added.

The distribution of tickets followed a sequence that saw 300,000 of the 2.4m tickets for the entire tournament set aside for travel agents (200,000) and the corporates.

Obviously, the trade interest in Ireland's games was significant, but RWC maintain that at this stage of the accounting process they can't say how many of Ireland's tickets were swallowed up in these channels.

The public issue started back in late 2005 with the issuing of packages to existing rugby fans. In Ireland's case it was to supporters affiliated to ERC teams who were offered a catch-all to cover each of this country's pool games. Thereafter there were public launches of tickets to individual games. "Every time we had a public ticketing launch there was a massive global demand and the usual games were the focus: England v South Africa and Ireland against France and Ireland against Argentina," McConnell said.

The next stage was to make the same packages available around the world, and that was followed by sales for individual games - excluding the semi-finals and final - and then the final phase (April 2007) was to off-load any remaining tickets to any games.

"It wasn't like we sold as much as we could in the first two phases - we always had large numbers put back for every game in each of the phases, so there was availability there," McConnell added.

[keirhardy]

Silly question but anybody like to swap 2 -1/4 final tickets ,high standard for 4 Ireland v Argentina tickets ?

[Rooster]

Silly question but anybody like to swap 2 -1/4 final tickets ,high standard for 4 Ireland v Argentina tickets ?

Silly question but to clarify, which tickets have you got and which 1/4 final

[keirhardy]

Sorry 2 tickets for Cardiff 1/4 final ,can't go travelling back from France ,for 4 tickets either Ire v Argentina or Ire v France>>some hope?

[Ithryn]

or you could always sell me them

[Freddie Benson]

have you actually got those Cardiff qf tickets yet KH?

friend of mine is waiting for 2 of an intermediary

[keirhardy]

No FB waiting from the French official channel -but anxious to negotiate a swap if pos!

[Rooster]

Freddie, everyone I know who is going is still waiting for their tickets, they have said 4 weeks before start of competition so that is next Friday.
Still shows not printed for my own, beggers have taken the cash though

[Tighthead Prod]

Rooster and FB - If you guys are ''talking about'' tickets for the Cardiff Q/F, I got my 4 over a month ago. Maybe that was because I bought them on the RWC website the morning they were released ?

Regards THP

[Rooster]

Bought my supply the same day THP
Thing that worries me is the fact that DHL is doing the delivery, I've never had a package delivered on time by them and record was 7 weeks from England to Norn'Irn for an overnight delivery, even then goods damaged and had to go back, and you wouldn't believe the bit of hardened steel they damaged, weighed 17 kg

[browner]

Rugby fans planning to attend World Cup games in France, Wales and Scotland this autumn have been warned about buying tickets online.

FULL STORY

[rems]

Hi guys,

i know someone who's got tickets to sell. Are you interested?

[rems]

Hi guys,

i know someone who's got tickets to sell. Are you interested?

[keirhardy]

In IRELand v Argentina tickets or swapping 2 -1/4 final Cardiff tickets.

[Rooster]

For anyone waiting for tickets bought on official French RWC site I got this reply today about dispatch of tickets.

The next sending for RWC tickets will be around august the 15th. The tickets will be sent by DHL. Thanks for your understanding. For more informations, please contact our office which deals with delivery of tickets by phone at 00.33.1.55.61.21.35 (from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm) or by mail at : rugby2007@ticketnet.fr.