In a surprising turn of events for South African rugby, ticket sales for the All Blacks’ four tour fixtures against URC franchises have fallen well short of expectations.
Despite the historic nature of the ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ tour, SA Rugby officials have confirmed that none of the provincial matches—against the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, or Lions—are near selling out ahead of Friday’s opener in Cape Town.
While the main Springbok Test matches in Johannesburg (Ellis Park) and Cape Town were snapped up almost instantly, organizers are grappling with sluggish demand for the mid-week and weekend franchise games.
“Sales Range From Modest to Poor”: SA Rugby Speaks Out
An official SA Rugby spokesperson conceded to Rapport that public demand for the non-Test matches has been unexpectedly low:
“Sales range from modest to poor, so ‘sold out’ signs won’t be going up anytime soon. We hope things pick up, but it has been a struggle so far.”
Tickets for the opening clash between the Stormers and the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium are currently priced between R650 and R1 350.
Meanwhile, limited seats also remain for the third Springbok vs All Blacks Test at FNB Stadium, where ticket prices range from R1 650 to R4 000.
All Blacks SA Tour Fixture List
- Fri, 7 Aug: Stormers vs New Zealand (Cape Town Stadium) – 19:10
- Tue, 11 Aug: Sharks vs New Zealand (Kings Park, Durban) – 19:10
- Sat, 15 Aug: Bulls vs New Zealand (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria) – 19:10
- Sat, 22 Aug: 1st Test: Springboks vs All Blacks (Ellis Park, Joburg) – 17:10 (SOLD OUT)
- Tue, 25 Aug: Lions vs New Zealand (Ellis Park, Joburg) – 19:10
- Sat, 29 Aug: 2nd Test: Springboks vs All Blacks (Cape Town Stadium) – 17:10 (SOLD OUT)
- Sat, 5 Sep: 3rd Test: Springboks vs All Blacks (FNB Stadium, Joburg) – 17:10 (Tickets Available)
- Sat, 12 Sep: 4th Test: Springboks vs All Blacks (M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore) – 23:00 SAST
