Editorial: Ticket prices no surprise

OPINION: It's hard to believe there could be any real surprise around New Zealand at the prices of tickets for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which will be played here.

Did anyone really expect that it would not cost a pretty penny to attend the final of the biggest rugby tournament on the planet?

In bald terms, $390 for the cheapest seat – there will be 10,000 at that price – and $1250 for the best seat at the final are huge sums. But think about how many people will be wanting to get their hands on one of the 60,000 seats for the match. The demand will be off the charts and high demand and limited supply mean only one thing. High prices.

Those who are truly taken aback might find it an interesting exercise to look over the prices when Sydney hosted the Olympic Games all of nine years ago. You might be surprised to learn that the prices Martin Snedden announced last week stack up pretty favourably.

There have been opinions expressed in the wake of the release of the price range late last week that ordinary Kiwi families have been priced out of the final and that that could impact heavily on the passion that young New Zealanders develop for the game.

That's drawing an extremely long bow.

Granted, there's probably not a New Zealander with an ounce of rugby interest in his or her blood who wouldn't be ready to crawl over broken glass to Eden Park if New Zealand were to make the final.

But there's a lot more to a World Cup than a final and the fact that ticket prices will be as low as $30 for adults and $15 for kids for pool games means that many Kiwis will be able to take in some of the World Cup action. It may not be the All Blacks or one of the other glamour sides, but just getting to a game will be a huge thrill for many.

It should also not be forgotten that for those who desperately want to get to some of the bigger matches, where prices are higher, can pay off their ticket purchases in interest-free instalments.

Plainly, this event is a far cry from the first World Cup in 1987. But then the tournament was in its infancy. Now it is firmly established as one of the biggest single-sport events on the planet, behind soccer's global spectacular, and naturally its popularity has grown exponentially.

So we shouldn't be surprised. We should simply hope that ticket sales are higher than expected and help to keep predicted tournament debt to a minimum, and that our team performs as it should, whether or not we can get along to see the All Blacks in action.

- © Fairfax NZ News