Snedden: RWC ticketing expectations exceeded
Earlier this week the local tournament organisers for next
year's Rugby World Cup, Rugby New Zealand 2011, received a
massive boost with an overwhelming opening response to the ticket
application process. Total Rugby spoke with the man ultimately in
charge, Chief Exec Martin Snedden.
Audio: Martin Snedden >>
TRR: Martin, your reaction to the early ticket sales?
MS: It's been a terrific time for us. We
obviously have been feeling extremely nervous about the whole
ticketing sales process and couldn't wait to get out there live
and see how people would react.
As soon as we went live at 0900 New Zealand time (earlier
this week) people were on the website filling out the application
form, getting them in and filed and we experienced a fantastic
first day. We ended up selling just short of 100,000 match tickets
through the pack process and I think that's probably something
that exceeded our expectations.
As tournament organisers it's been a great start and very
motivating for us.
TRR: Did the global economic situation concern you in the
run-up?
MS: Yes it did, it was obviously a pretty
significant recession and it affected the economies of a number of
countries from where we are expecting visitors, in particular the
UK, so it's been some relief I think to see the economic
recovery that's slowly but gradually happening all around the
world.
The sales that are coming out of all parts of New Zealand are
really strong. We expected it to be good but we were still nervous
about whether or not 15 months out from the tournament people were
going to be prepared to put their hands in their pockets, but
they've certainly responded and for us that's a terrific
sign.
TRR: And what of the latest stadium development work Martin
- for those not in New Zealand, what's the news?
MS: The venues are a really good news story. When
we started this project three years ago we only had one venue
upgrade on our hands, and that was Eden Park. That project is well
ahead of schedule, it's on budget, it's going to be
finished in September or October this year, so that's a year
ahead of the Rugby World Cup and it's going to be in full use
from November this year, which is good news.
In the meantime, we've had another six venues starting on
upgrade projects. Christchurch and Napier have both been upgraded
significantly and are now in full use. Whangerei and New Plymouth
and Nelson and all undergoing upgrades which we're finishing
this year.
And then probably the most amazing project of them all is a
brand new stadium being built in Dunedin. It's going to be New
Zealand's first ever closed-in, roofed stadium. That had a bit
of a late start and it's going to go to the wire. We're
expecting it to finish probably in July of next year, so only about
six or seven weeks out from the matches that they'll be due to
host in the Rugby World Cup, but we have no doubt that that
community and the contractors involved will rise to the occasion
and make sure that it is ready.
TRR: You also have a ready-made advert for all of this in
what happened last time a World Cup was played in New Zealand..
MS: There is a fair contingent of the New Zealand public
wistfully thinking back to New Zealand in 1987 and the first World
Cup, and hoping that maybe there'll be a repeat on our hands
next year, and that's a natural feeling.
But what we've been trying to do is also to remind people
gently but fairly firmly that this tournament is about hosting 20
teams, not one team, and about hosting the supporters of the other
19 teams and making sure that above all they have a great
experience in New Zealand.
For all the latest information or to apply for tickets, go to
www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets
