Following record demand across the 2018 ticket ballot phases for Rugby World Cup 2019, first-come-first-served general public ticket sales are set to begin on Saturday 19 January with a limited number of around 200,000 tickets available via www.tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.
- First-come-first-served general public ticket sales commence on 19 January at 10:00 Japan Standard Time (01:00 GMT)
- Tickets for the most popular matches, including the knockout stages and pool matches featuring host nation Japan, defending champions New Zealand, as well as Ireland and England remain extremely limited
- Fans are encouraged to utilise the availability indicator on the ticketing website to give themselves the best opportunity to secure remaining RWC 2019 tickets
- As the huge demand from Japanese fans unable to secure tickets for Japan matches is expected to crossover into remaining matches, international fans are encouraged to move quickly to secure their desired tickets
- Tickets will remain on sale until either all the tickets are sold or the closing date for this sales phase is reached at 23:59 JST (14:59 GMT) on Sunday 31 March
- All future ticket sales will operate on a first-come-first-served basis, in real-time. Fans finding available tickets for their desired matches should not delay their purchase
- Traffic to the RWC 2019 ticketing website is expected to be extremely high once general public ticket sales commence and fans are urged to remain patient
Japan 2019 is shaping-up to be the most popular Rugby World Cup ever in terms of ticket demand with more than 4.5 million tickets applied for during the initial ballot phase and more than 300,000 fans seeking to secure tickets during this week’s exclusive sales period for those who had previously applied for tickets in the ballot phases but failed to secure them.
Ticket availability across the tournament remains very limited following record sales throughout the 2018 ballots and there will be less than 200,000 tickets available during this general public sales phase.
While there is still reasonable availability for some pool matches, tickets for the most popular matches remain extremely limited. These include all knockout stage matches and pool matches featuring the host nation Japan, defending champions New Zealand, as well as Ireland and England.
With extremely limited availability for certain matches, fans are encouraged to use the real-time ticket availability indicator on the ticketing website to give themselves the best opportunity to secure Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets.
Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee CEO Akira Shimazu said: “With less than 250 days to go before Asia’s first Rugby World Cup kicks off in Japan, it’s incredibly exciting to see the phenomenal response from rugby fans here in Japan and from across the world. The huge demand for tickets points to Rugby World Cup 2019 being a truly special tournament.
“For anybody considering buying tickets for matches that still have availability I suggest you move as quickly as possible when first-come-first-served sales begin. The huge demand from domestic rugby fans unable to secure tickets for Japan matches will spread quickly to the tournament’s remaining matches. There are still some great tickets available and we want to ensure that we welcome as many foreign fans as possible for this once-in-a-lifetime tournament.”
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont added: “Rugby World Cup is proving to be the event to attend in 2019 with record ticket applications. The incredible demand for tickets demonstrates that Asia’s first Rugby World Cup has truly captured the imagination of fans around the world. It will be a tournament that has fans and teams at heart, celebrates rugby and Japan and will further the reach and growth of the sport across Asia and around the world.”
With traffic to the Rugby World Cup 2019 ticketing site expected to be extremely heavy during the early stages of the January ticket sales window, fans are requested to be patient while waiting to access the site.
Those unable to secure tickets in the January sales window should be aware that limited quantities of Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets will be periodically made available for sale across 2019 as new ticket inventory becomes available.
These tickets will be a mixture of seats released from ongoing venue planning and configuration, handbacks from the tournament's commercial programme and unions, and tickets that have been registered for official resale by fans who can no longer attend matches. All future ticket sales opportunities will be announced in advance, while further details on the Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Resale site will be provided in March 2019.
Another option for fans looking to secure match tickets is through the Rugby World Cup 2019 Official Supporter Tour and Hospitality programmes. Ticket-inclusive travel packages provided through RWC 2019 official travel agents are proving extremely popular, with tickets for some of the most popular matches still available. The prestigious Webb Ellis Suite and private hospitality suites are already sold out, however some great match-day hospitality options are still available. Further details can be found via www.rugbyworldcup.com/supportertours and www.rugbyworldcup.com/hospitality.
When purchasing tickets, fans will be able to opt-in and donate to the ChildFund Pass It Back programme. In partnership with World Rugby’s Impact Beyond programme, Pass It Back inspires positive social change through the delivery of an integrated life-skills and non-contact tag rugby curriculum, educating children and young people in areas of leadership, problem-solving, gender equality, conflict resolution and life preparation. For more details visit www.childfundpassitback.org.
With such exceptional demand for tickets, fans are being urged to buy exclusively from official channels to avoid being let down. For more details visit www.rugbyworldcup.com/buy-official.