66,000 tickets sold for Wales Vs England

http://www.wru.co.uk/27012.php

Ticket sales for Wales' fixture against England have hit record levels as interest hots up ahead of this weekend's sizzling summer clash on Saturday at the Millennium Stadium. (KO 2.30pm)
Over 66,000 have already been sold for the Rugby World Cup warm-up game, exceeding the previous attendance record for summer rugby at the home of Welsh sport.
A bumper crowd of 62,500 fans watched Wales v France at the stadium before the Rugby World Cup in 1999 and 60,500 supporters turned out to watch Wales face current World Champions South Africa ahead of the summer tour to New Zealand in June 2010.

Rugby fans have now smashed the ticket record once more at the Millennium Stadium, with a massive surge in sales after Wales narrowly lost out to England at Twickenham last weekend.

And sales are expected to further increase this week with tickets available for Wales v England at £30 for adults and £15 for children at the WRU website or by calling the ticket hotlines 08442 777 888 or 02920 230130.

"Fans have shown unprecedented support for Wales' summer game against England and this is a great tribute to Welsh rugby ahead of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand," said WRU Head of Sales and Marketing Craig Maxwell, who has driven a range of ticketing initiatives to get the fans behind Wales this summer.

"Wales versus England is an excellent choice for fans, with tickets available at £15 for children and £30 for adults, and we are expecting a superb crowd for what promises to be another thrilling and heated encounter on Saturday afternoon.

"While our fans have broken summer rugby ticket sales records at the venue, we still have a number of the lowest priced tickets available and I urge fans to act fast to secure their place in the stands and get behind the team this weekend."

As well as a competitive pricing strategy, over 7,000 summer rugby tickets have been snapped up by supporters at Tesco stores throughout Wales in a drive to increase accessibility for fans wanting to get to the game.*

Tickets can still be purchased at a range of Tesco stores for Wales' second home warm-up game against Argentina on Saturday 20 August until this Friday with the WRU's 'buy one get one free' offer available on £25 tickets.

Tickets for both warm-up fixtures can also be purchased at www.wru.co.uk/tickets or by calling the ticket hotlines 08442 777 888 or 02920 230130. Additional prices are available for Wales v Argentina.

*List of Tesco stores participating in the WRU ticket promotion:

Tesco Extra Stores: Bangor, Bridgend Extra, Cardiff Excelsior, Cardiff Pengam, Carmarthen, Culverhouse Cross, Haverfordwest, Llanelli, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, Risca, Swansea Cadle, Swansea Llansamlet, Talbot Green, Wrexham

Tesco Superstores: Aberdare, Ammanford, Barry, Bridgend Brewery Lane, Caerphilly, Cardigan, Chepstow, Ebbw Vale, Neath Abbey, Pembroke Dock, Penarth, Pontypool, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, St Mellons, Swansea Marina, Ystrad Mynach

WALES' SUMMER (JUNE - AUGUST) FIXTURES TO DATE:

NB: RWC years previous to '99 there were no warm-up fixtures, apart from one meeting with France on the 04/09/1991 Wales 9 - 22 France, National Stadium Cardiff Arms Park. In 1995 Wales played two qualifying games in Portugal and Spain.

26/6/99 Wales 29 South Africa 19, attendance 27,000 MS- Stadium opening

21/8/99 Wales 33 Canada 19, attendance 50,000 MS- RWC warm-up

28/8/99 Wales 34 France 23, attendance 62,500 MS- RWC warm-up

16/08/03 Ireland 35 Wales 12 - (AWAY AT LANSDOWNE ROAD) 20,000

23/8/03 Wales 9 England 43, attendance 47,500 MS- RWC warm-up

27/08/03 Wales 54 Romania 8, (AT WREXHAM, RACECOURSE) 14,000 - RWC warm-up

30/08/03 Wales 23 Scotland 9, attendance 24,740 MS- RWC warm-up

18/8/07 Wales 27 Argentina 20, attendance 36,736 MS - RWC warm-up

26/8/07 Wales 7 France 34, attendance 49,655 MS - RWC warm-up

Also 2007 England 62 Wales 5, (AWAY AT TWICKENHAM) 66,131

Last Saturday's meeting with England sold in excess of 80,000 tickets

Looks like a bumper day for the WRU. Well done to so many Welsh fans buying tickets for the game!

Good numbers Shows a good interest even for a warm-up game that's partially used as a run-out for fringe players.

Sadly, I would be very very surprised if this is not cancelled because of recent events.

Some English fans bought tickets too you know :-) Including me

To my knowledge there are no riots in Wales. Though their might be after the game if we lose badly

I'm English and I'm going too! It'll be good to win again at the MS

I wouldn't have thought that it would be cancelled in Cardiff.

Hope not anyway.

Cant wait.

66,000 and there are still a few days to go. Well done WRU

I wouldn't have thought that it would be cancelled in Cardiff.

Hope not anyway.

Cant wait.

66,000 and there are still a few days to go. Well done WRU

munkian wrote:Its the English rioting, not us

It's not even the English apparently, it's the poor hard done by immigrants who come here drain our resources and bleed us dry. I'm hoping the army will be unleashed with live rounds to be honest.

AlynDavies wrote:

munkian wrote:Its English scumbags rioting, not us

It's not even the English apparently, it's the poor hard done by immigrants who come here drain our resources and bleed us dry. I'm hoping the army will be unleashed with live rounds to be honest.

The English rugby team are rioting ?

Munkian - Actually quite funny. Well done. Unfortunately I think AlynDavies is Welsh...

screamingaddabs wrote:Munkian - Actually quite funny. Well done. Unfortunately I think AlynDavies is Welsh...

Edited

screamingaddabs wrote:Munkian - Actually quite funny. Well done. Unfortunately I think AlynDavies is Welsh...

Yeah Bridgend should of given it away, the town has been in the National news a lot over the last couple of years so he should of picked that up, and my name is hardly English is it, lol.

A dissapointing amount of tickets sold, Twickers sold out at 82k. It seems the Millenium will only be 80% full.

Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

No

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

this was the second paragraph in the opening post

Over 66,000 have already been sold for the Rugby World Cup warm-up game, exceeding the previous attendance record for summer rugby at the home of Welsh sport.
A bumper crowd of 62,500 fans watched Wales v France at the stadium before the Rugby World Cup in 1999 and 60,500 supporters turned out to watch Wales face current World Champions South Africa ahead of the summer tour to New Zealand in June 2010.

not that hard to understand really.

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

Are you for real?

I know you don't watch much rugby, but surely your limited knowledge stretches far enough to realise that all Wales v England 6 Nations games sell out if nothing else.

AlynDavies wrote:

munkian wrote:Its the English rioting, not us

It's not even the English apparently, it's the poor hard done by immigrants who come here drain our resources and bleed us dry. I'm hoping the army will be unleashed with live rounds to be honest.

Oh more cheap jibes about the makeup of the england team

wrfc1980 wrote:A dissapointing amount of tickets sold, Twickers sold out at 82k. It seems the Millenium will only be 80% full.

Its quite appointing (?) when you put it in context of the usual ticket sales for pointless internationals in Wales. Bear in mind the struggle they had to sell tickets for the ai's

wrfc1980 wrote:A dissapointing amount of tickets sold, Twickers sold out at 82k. It seems the Millenium will only be 80% full.

Or maybe 90% (91% to be more accurate).

Not bad really, considering what the game is (a friendly) and given there isn't as much an interest in friendlies compared to competitive games. £30 a ticket is probably a bit more than what people would wish to pay for a friendly, particularly when they can BOGOF the following week. Besides which, there's still three or four more days of ticket sales to go yet anyway.

AlynDavies wrote:

screamingaddabs wrote:Munkian - Actually quite funny. Well done. Unfortunately I think AlynDavies is Welsh...

Yeah Bridgend should of given it away, the town has been in the National news a lot over the last couple of years so he should of picked that up, and my name is hardly English is it, lol.

It's actually "should have", not "should of". And did you really "laugh out loud" ?

helpful nottins, that's a wonderful contribution to this thread, thanks.

I think 66,000 tickets sold at the start of the week of a match is actually really good, I imagine a fair few more will be shifted by Saturday as well. It helped that the first match was such a close affair, fingers crossed the game this weekend is even better (and with a nicer outcome for Wales )

rugbydreamer wrote:fingers crossed the game this weekend is even better (and with a nicer outcome for Wales )

Amen to that

Risca Rev wrote:

rugbydreamer wrote:fingers crossed the game this weekend is even better (and with a nicer outcome for Wales )

Amen to that

Well said RD

Risca Rev wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

Are you for real?

I know you don't watch much rugby, but surely your limited knowledge stretches far enough to realise that all Wales v England 6 Nations games sell out if nothing else.

Rev this is not the 6ns though is it.

Like some one pointed out above these are "FRIENDLYS" (Warm up games)not full internationals.

majesticimperialman wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

Are you for real?

I know you don't watch much rugby, but surely your limited knowledge stretches far enough to realise that all Wales v England 6 Nations games sell out if nothing else.

Rev this is not the 6ns though is it.

Like some one pointed out above these are "FRIENDLYS" (Warm up games)not full internationals.

They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this. Test matches are important, it unions / coaches are going to use the games as 'friendlys' then they must be forced to say this before the game I think. It's a disgusting scenario that we are making all for a month every 4 years.

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this.

It's nice to hear other people saying this. If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief. But it's a fact that this highly over-rated four yearly festival (of lop-sides pool stage stompIings and a hand full of stodgy defense orientated, mistake riddled knock out games inevitably marred by refereeing controversy and over shaddowed by political and economic objectives) is systematically destroying the rich traditions of the sport and changing the game itself. It was supposed to increase the exposure and celebrate the sport. It has failed. Let's end it.

majesticimperialman wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:

majesticimperialman wrote:Is this the most tickets ever sold for a Wales v England game?

Are you for real?

I know you don't watch much rugby, but surely your limited knowledge stretches far enough to realise that all Wales v England 6 Nations games sell out if nothing else.

Rev this is not the 6ns though is it.

Like some one pointed out above these are "FRIENDLYS" (Warm up games)not full internationals.

Which makes your initial question even worse. Firstly then word your question better, if you were specifically talking about FRIENDLIES. Secondly, you can answer your own question by reading the original post.

TheGreyGhost wrote:

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this.

It's nice to hear other people saying this. If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief. But it's a fact that this highly over-rated four yearly festival (of lop-sides pool stage stompIings and a hand full of stodgy defense orientated, mistake riddled knock out games inevitably marred by refereeing controversy and over shaddowed by political and economic objectives) is systematically destroying the rich traditions of the sport and changing the game itself. It was supposed to increase the exposure and celebrate the sport. It has failed. Let's end it.

The "rich tradition" youre upset about being the All Blacks winning everything?

I'm not overly surprised there will be a good crowd for this. It's the Argentina Test which is the litmus really.

MBTGOG wrote:I'm not overly surprised there will be a good crowd for this. It's the Argentina Test which is the litmus really.

Depends which way you look at it. Argentina is more likely to do well (in theory) due to the buy one get one free offer.

The MS got 60,000 for Japan I am sure Argentina will get the same.

welshjohn369 wrote:The MS got 60,000 for Japan I am sure Argentina will get the same.

It also only got 53,000 for Australia last November.

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this. Test matches are important, it unions / coaches are going to use the games as 'friendlys' then they must be forced to say this before the game I think. It's a disgusting scenario that we are making all for a month every 4 years.

If it wasn't for the RWC, then these matches wouldn't be being played at this time of year, so every country is allowed to field whatever side it wants as they always are entitled to do. I presume you've seen the 3N countries fielding weakened sides ? South Africa against NZ this year ? Australia v Samoa this year ?

I find it hilarious that InZid (and particularly the self proclaimed greatest NZ) fan(s) think it's a "disgusting scenario that we are making all for a month every 4 years" when they were the country that wanted the RWC in the first place. I wonder if this attitude will change if they finally manage to win it again ?

Also the competition lasts for 6 weeks, not a month.

Let's be honest this game is popular because it's Wales vs England.

No other rival is quite as popular/unpopular as England are they?

It's the rivalry,the passion,the closeness,the history. Is there anything more satisfying to the Welsh than beating England?

Is it any surprise at all that England are the biggest draw?

beshocked wrote:Let's be honest this game is popular because it's Wales vs England.

No other rival is quite as popular/unpopular as England are they?

It's the rivalry,the passion,the closeness,the history. Is there anything more satisfying to the Welsh than beating England?

Is it any surprise at all that England are the biggest draw?

Its only because England are the big bully next door. Its Geography. It could be any larger country next door if not England.

And despite England being former World Cup champions the win/loss/draw ratio between us is very tight, which adds a lot to the rivalry.

England had their best ever team and won in 2003. Wales had there best ever team in the 70s and unfortunately there were no world cups then.

Munkian we are talking specifically about Wales here. Hence the relevance of my post. I am not saying how great England is. We all know how great England is anyway.

I am saying that it is no surprise England are Wale's most popular opponents. You love us really.

We are the most hated country in the world bar USA. We are bound to attract a little publicity!

Having the biggest union in rugby and being the founders helps a tiny bit too.

munkian wrote:And despite England being former World Cup champions the win/loss/draw ratio between us is very tight, which adds a lot to the rivalry.

The win/loss ratio has been getting wider recently though, hasn't it?

munkian wrote:England had their best ever team and won in 2003. Wales had there best ever team in the 70s and unfortunately there were no world cups then.

It's all about peaking at the right time. Wales still didn't beat NZ with their "best ever team".

SafeAsMilk wrote:

munkian wrote:And despite England being former World Cup champions the win/loss/draw ratio between us is very tight, which adds a lot to the rivalry.

The win/loss ratio has been getting wider recently though, hasn't it?

munkian wrote:England had their best ever team and won in 2003. Wales had there best ever team in the 70s and unfortunately there were no world cups then.

It's all about peaking at the right time. Wales still didn't beat NZ with their "best ever team".

I think you are 2 games ahead of us now. Thats it. Wales won 53 lost 55 and have drew 12 games with England.

I think it's three.

Mind The Gap!!!

It'll be 2 or 1 come Saturday evening anyway

munkian wrote:
England had their best ever team and won in 2003. Wales had there best ever team in the 70s and unfortunately there were no world cups then.

Wales also ever managed to beat NZ when they "had there best ever team in the 70s".

But then, NZ didn't send developmental sides in the '70s

nottins wrote:

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this. Test matches are important, it unions / coaches are going to use the games as 'friendlys' then they must be forced to say this before the game I think. It's a disgusting scenario that we are making all for a month every 4 years.

If it wasn't for the RWC, then these matches wouldn't be being played at this time of year, so every country is allowed to field whatever side it wants as they always are entitled to do. I presume you've seen the 3N countries fielding weakened sides ? South Africa against NZ this year ? Australia v Samoa this year ?

I find it hilarious that InZid (and particularly the self proclaimed greatest NZ) fan(s) think it's a "disgusting scenario that we are making all for a month every 4 years" when they were the country that wanted the RWC in the first place. I wonder if this attitude will change if they finally manage to win it again ?

Also the competition lasts for 6 weeks, not a month.

InZid......does that mean anything?

Just to help you out my NAME IS WELSHJOHN!! W_E_L_S_H!! So how do you mistake my quote to come from a Kiwi?

So it is 6 weeks ohhhhhhhhh sowwy. It still ruining TEST matches which are the best things in Union. Stuff the world cup get the big tour back, NZ playing tests and clubs in UK and some games in developing countries.

UK teams going to the PI's and playing Aussie or NZ. UK teams going to S Africa and club teams as well as SA.

Proper rugby as it should be rather than trying to copy the wendyball mentality.

Seriously, Ignore him. He has nothing of value to contribute to any thread so far.

welshjohn369 wrote:

Apologies in "replying" to you John, for some reason I thought I was replying to emack2.

But the RWC does have a place, rugby evolves. Next you'll be telling us that we should bring back amatuerism.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

TheGreyGhost wrote:

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this.

It's nice to hear other people saying this. If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief. But it's a fact that this highly over-rated four yearly festival (of lop-sides pool stage stompIings and a hand full of stodgy defense orientated, mistake riddled knock out games inevitably marred by refereeing controversy and over shaddowed by political and economic objectives) is systematically destroying the rich traditions of the sport and changing the game itself. It was supposed to increase the exposure and celebrate the sport. It has failed. Let's end it.

The "rich tradition" youre upset about being the All Blacks winning everything?

That's why I said "If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief". Not at all. It's because I watched NZ beat Australia in the Bledisloe cup, the most important rugby trophy in the NZ cabinet in the modern era and it was billed as some also-ran warm up to some "main event" later in the year. Because we watched an NZ v South Africa test in NZ, the most important rugby test of the year where a deliberately understrength SA side were humiliated 40-7 and the stadium wasn't even full. Nobody cared. These are the rich traditions that are being sacrificed for this silly so-called "world cup".

TheGreyGhost wrote:

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

TheGreyGhost wrote:

welshjohn369 wrote:
They are TEST MATCHES, nothing gets better than this. The World Cup is destroying the game to be honest and coaches and Unions should rememebr this.

It's nice to hear other people saying this. If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief. But it's a fact that this highly over-rated four yearly festival (of lop-sides pool stage stompIings and a hand full of stodgy defense orientated, mistake riddled knock out games inevitably marred by refereeing controversy and over shaddowed by political and economic objectives) is systematically destroying the rich traditions of the sport and changing the game itself. It was supposed to increase the exposure and celebrate the sport. It has failed. Let's end it.

The "rich tradition" youre upset about being the All Blacks winning everything?

That's why I said "If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief". Not at all. It's because I watched NZ beat Australia in the Bledisloe cup, the most important rugby trophy in the NZ cabinet in the modern era and it was billed as some also-ran warm up to some "main event" later in the year. Because we watched an NZ v South Africa test in NZ, the most important rugby test of the year where a deliberately understrength SA side were humiliated 40-7 and the stadium wasn't even full. Nobody cared. These are the rich traditions that are being sacrificed for this silly so-called "world cup".

You will sooooo change your tune if you win this year...

TheGreyGhost wrote:
That's why I said "If you say this and are an AB supporter you cop a bit of grief". Not at all. It's because I watched NZ beat Australia in the Bledisloe cup, the most important rugby trophy in the NZ cabinet in the modern era and it was billed as some also-ran warm up to some "main event" later in the year. Because we watched an NZ v South Africa test in NZ, the most important rugby test of the year where a deliberately understrength SA side were humiliated 40-7 and the stadium wasn't even full. Nobody cared. These are the rich traditions that are being sacrificed for this silly so-called "world cup".

I'm sure not long ago that you were telling us that the poor attendances were due to peoples financial circumstances.

I wonder if you'll be calling for the RWC to be scrapped if NZ win it this time ?