SA Rugby has taken action to deny “incorrect and misinformed” reports about ticket sales for the Springboks’ match against England at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus’ men officially begin their Test season in a Nations Championship match against Steve Borthwick’s men at the iconic Johannesburg Stadium.
Despite the match generating much excitement, SA Rugby has come under fire over ticket prices, with many fans feeling they were denied the opportunity to attend the first meeting between the two countries in South Africa since 2018.
SA Rugby responds to false information about Springboks ticket sales
Earlier this week, an SA Rugby spokesman said Rapport that they hope to sell 91% of Ellis Park’s capacity before kick-off on Saturday.
“The impact of the war in Iran has undoubtedly taken a toll on everyone’s pockets, which is reflected in retail as well as ticket sales,” a spokesman told Afrikaans.
“We hope to get closer to the historic average attendance for the England game in South Africa, which is 91% of stadium capacity.
“Tickets will be available in advance of the competition and we look forward to a successful final sales week ahead of the next major competition.”
Last Wednesday it was reported that just 21,000 tickets had been sold for the test match at the 60,000-capacity stadium, and throughout that week ticket prices had been steadily falling, with tickets going from R950 to R650.
In a statement released on Friday morning, SA Rugby sought to clear up misinformation about the projected attendance at the stadium, which hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
“Predictions that attendance would be just over 21,000 were completely wrong and misinformed,” the statement said.
“SA Rugby hopes to get closer to the historic average against England in SA of 91% of stadium capacity in a market that sells tickets for four Test matches and two provincial matches against the touring All Blacks.
“Claims of lack of interest are unfounded and not supported by actual sales data.”
Springboks vs England prediction: Rassie Erasmus’ side to stun England in ‘bloody’ and ‘painful’ clash at Ellis Park
Rassie Erasmus reveals World Rugby directive after Springboks claim to law enforcement: ‘I couldn’t answer them’
At the time of writing there are several ticket categories available on Ticketmaster, ranging from R650 to R3000.
The match between the Springboks and England will see Erasmus equal Jake White’s record as South Africa’s head coach with the most caps.
This will be his 54th time in charge and the former flanker boasts a better success rate than White, winning 75.5% of his matches. He also holds the record for most wins as a head coach (40) – four more than the 2007 World Cup-winning boss and eight more than Heinecke Meyer.
Erasmus oversaw six Springboks Test matches against England, winning four times and losing twice.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as your preferred source on Google to your favorites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Springboks coaches with the most tests
54 – Jake White
53 – Race Erasmus
48 – Pieter de Villiers
48 – Heineke Meyer
39 – Jacques Nienaber
38 – Nick Mallett
25 – Allister Coetzee
23 – Dani Craven
23 – Rudolf Streuli
READ MORE: ‘Greatest fear’ pushes Rassie Erasmus to bid for three World Cup wins