Tickets are now on sale for 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. Here’s a quick guide to the best ways to increase your chance of getting a ticket, and not break the bank.
With the 2015 Rugby World Cup taking in place in England (and Wales) next year, you can expect tickets to be as popular as the 2012 Olympics. But there are some great ways to get a better chance of buying tickets, and a few ways to cut the costs.
Once you’ve registered an account you can browse the schedule to choose the games you want to see. Prices can be VERY expensive, particularly for the England games. You’ll find cheaper options outside of London or at smaller teams.
Once you know the games you want to see, follow these tips:
1. Don’t rush
It’s not first come first serve. Instead there’s a ballot where you apply for the tickets you want and then if they are over subscribed, a random selection takes place. The ballot is now open and closes 6pm on 29th September 2014. You can only make one application, but you can edit it as many times as you like before the close date.
2. Apply for as many matches as you’d be happy to see
Unless you only want to see certain games, there’s a feature you can select called Match Manager. Choose this and you’ll be capped at the number of matches you can buy tickets for. So you could apply for 10 games but cap those you can buy for at three. The ballots will start at the most popular matches, so choosing this won’t mean you miss out on a chance for tickets to England if you also choose Romania. In theory you’ve a far better chance of getting into a game.
You’ll be charged for all tickets as soon as they’re confirmed, so if you can only afford to go to one match, this is a great way to limit what you pay now.
If you get a few games and change your mind/can’t afford them, there’ll also be an official resale site next year where you can sell on tickets at face value. I imagine it’ll be similar to the Olympics and Paralympics systems which worked really well.
Of course these only work if you have enough money to bank roll all those matches until whenever the resale system goes live – and that could be anytime next year.
3. Pick the next next cheapest seat from the most you can afford
The optional Increase Your Chances feature lets you also go into the ballot for the next most expensive price tickets if the one you want is sold out. So if you can afford category B, go for category C tickets and you’re essentially in the ballot for both sets. That’s if you can afford it!
4. Pay by Mastercard or debit card
If you pay by any other credit card you’ll be charged 2%. When you’re looking at two England group tickets possibly costing £600, that’s £12. Any for many people there’ll be more tickets and more matches, so that cost adds up.
Good luck!