The Springboks’ Nations Championship opener against England could be played in front of a relatively small crowd at Ellis Park on Saturday.
According to Rapport, only about 21,000 tickets had been sold by Wednesday, leaving plenty of seats available at the 62,000-capacity venue.
Tickets were still on sale through Ticketmaster on Thursday, with prices ranging from R950 to R3,000.
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SA Rugby believes economic pressures have contributed to the sluggish sales but is hopeful of a late surge before kick-off.
“The impact of the war in Iran has undoubtedly had an impact on everyone’s pockets, which is reflected in the retail industry as well as in ticket sales,” a SA Rugby spokesperson told Rapport.
“In addition, we hope to get close to the historical average attendance against England in South Africa, which is 91% of the stadium’s capacity.
“Tickets will be available until kick-off, and we are hoping for a strong week of final sales for the start of a major new competition.”
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Last week’s non-cap match between the Springboks and the Barbarians at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was also played in front of large swathes of empty seats.
Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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The Springboks’ Nations Championship opener against England could be played in front of a relatively small crowd at Ellis Park on Saturday.
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