Sport Tourism: Rugby World Cup 2019 Expected to Attract Record Number of Visitors

World Rugby has announced that more than 4.5 million Rugby World Cup 2019 ticket applications have been received since the programme launched in January 2018.

With Japan proving the place to be next year, the general ticket application period, which ran from 19 September to 12 November, saw in excess of two million tickets applications for an available inventory of 300,000 tickets.

Over 40% of demand came from outside Japan, suggesting that Rugby World Cup 2019 is on track to host the largest number of overseas visitors in the history of the tournament.

World Rugby Chair Bill Beaumont said, "Rugby World Cup 2019 is shaping-up to be a very popular, special and game-changing Rugby World Cup. 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."

The next opportunity to purchase tickets begins at 10:00 (JST) on 19 January 2019 when first-come-first-served general ticket sales begin.

With limited availability for matches involving Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, England and the knockout phases, fans are encouraged to use the ticket availability indicator on the ticketing website to give themselves the best opportunity to secure Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets.

Fans are also reminded to check out the Official Supporter Tour and Hospitality programmes, which have also been experiencing significant demand with unprecedented demand for ticket-inclusive travel packages experienced by official travel agents and significant hospitality interest with the prestigious Webb Ellis Suite and private suites already sold out.

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.

Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee CEO, Akira Shimazu, said, "The response from both Japanese and international rugby fans across the ballot phases has been truly amazing. In particular, the demand for matches featuring the host nation Japan, top-tier nations New Zealand, Ireland and England, as well as the knockout stages has been nothing short of phenomenal. Anybody considering buying tickets for matches that still have availability should move quickly when first-come-first-served sales begin on January 19 next year. The huge demand from domestic rugby fans unable to secure tickets for Japan matches will spread quickly to the tournament’s remaining fixtures. 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."

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.

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