A BIG CROWD is anticipated when Australia host New Zealand at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Thursday in the opening game of the 17th World Cup.
In a game that will be shown live on Premier Sports (10.05am) the organisers are hoping to draw the biggest crowd for an international match in Sydney in the modern era, with the stadium having a capacity of 45,500.
And they are hoping that the big kick-off produces a spurt in ticket sales for the other matches in the tournament, especially now that the NRL club season has ended.
“Tickets are currently selling at 3,300 per day or 10,000 every three days,” an International Rugby League spokesman told League Express.
“A while ago we were celebrating when we sold 5,000 per week.
“The final (at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on 15th November) is effectively sold out, as is Tonga v Samoa (Commbank Stadium, Sydney, 1st November 7.05am) and the Christchurch game (New Zealand v Cook Islands, 25th October, 5.05am), while the opener is set for a modern-day record Test crowd in Sydney (since the Sydney Football Stadium was built in 1988).
“Other games are now starting to pick up and the Perth opening game (a double header with England playing Wales in the women’s tournament and England facing Tonga in the men’s tournament this Saturday) is going well.”
The England men’s and women’s squads have both arrived in Perth to prepare for this Saturday’s games, while the RFL has sent three match officials (Chris Kendall, Liam Moore and Tara Jones) to the tournament, although the allocation of World Cup matches to referees has yet to be announced.
