‘Too big to miss’ is the way that the Rugby World Cup is being marketed by the organisers. The event will inevitably be a spectacular spectacle. England has form in this area after the magnificent 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games were held in London. However, with a year to go until the biggest event in the rugby calendar excitement feels low and demand for tickets is even lower.
Too Expensive? Rugby World Cup 2015 Tickets
The simple reason is that the ticket prices are simply too expensive and pricing many rugby fans out of the market. It is an event that I want to support and I am an advocate of going to live matches rather than watching on television. When the announcement was made that the Rugby World Cup would be held in England I targeted taking in three games, including the final, which was before I saw the ticket prices.
Since I have seen the prices I have decided that television rugby coverage isn’t that bad after all! The cheapest adult ticket for the final is an eye-watering £315, which is more than an entire week’s wages for a 21 year old on minimum wage. Even the most die-hard rugby fan cannot justify such a large cut of their earnings for one day out.
Many people will be in this situation and will be weighing up their options for the coming season. For £315 they can take in the World Cup final, or for £300 they can comfortably pay less for a season ticket for a Premiership or Pro12 club. Season tickets at Bath are £278 and at the Cardiff Blues just £185, financially it’s a no brainer.
Perhaps I am being harsh on the event organisers, I have of course picked the most expensive match (albeit the cheapest tickets in the ground) to illustrate my point. However, the event remains expensive in the pool stages. France-Ireland is a regular Six Nations fixture that will make up pool D at the World Cup. The cheapest adult ticket is £50, the cheapest ticket in the Aviva in the coming Six Nations will be around £20. I understand that this is a huge event, but does that mean that ticket prices should be marked up 150%?
In Wales, it has been reported that the seven games being staged in Cardiff are experiencing low demand, including two Welsh fixtures. One of the games in Cardiff is New Zealand-Georgia; again the cheapest ticket is £50. Wales play the All Blacks this autumn and the cheapest ticket is £30, this game provides far better value. Not only is it cheaper but the All Blacks will field their stars and it should be a close contest. The All Blacks will likely field reserves against lowly Georgia, but you have to pay more because it is the World Cup.
The prices were not cheap at the 2011 edition, held in New Zealand. In the South Africa-Wales pool game three years ago the most expensive ticket would have set you back £175. In a similar pool fixture at next year’s event, Australia-Wales, the most expensive ticket is £250. A £75 increase which some fans see as an unjustifiably expensive ticket, hence the low demand.
It is no surprise that demand has been low with the prices the way they are. I have no doubt that all rugby fans in the British Isles want to see a successful World Cup, myself included. However, many people will be forced to let it pass them by as they simply cannot afford to attend. The major worry will be if the stands are not full and that could be an embarrassment for the event.
Forget ‘too big to miss’, at these prices it is simply ‘too expensive to go’.
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