Rugby League fans will
have the chance to access a limited release of tickets to the 2008 World Cup
Final in Brisbane on November 22 from
today.
The initial public
allocation sold out in July prompting organisers to review all reserved seating
allocations for the Tournament which starts next
month.
Tickets are being
released for the Final at Suncorp Stadium and a number of other marquee games
including the Opening Ceremony match between Australia-New Zealand (October 26);
Australia versus England in Melbourne (November 2); Semi-Finals in Brisbane (Nov
15) and Sydney (Nov 16).
Tournament Director
and RLIF Chairman Mr Colin Love AM said the release was part of a commitment to
ensure a maximum number of tickets for the general
public.
"I have little doubt
that the tickets for the Final in Brisbane will be gone very quickly indeed and
it is unlikely that any further allocations will become available," he
said.
"Certainly it is a
response to a strong demand from Australian fans for the tickets to the big
games."
RLWC organisers today
confirmed that with Brisbane having won the right
to host both the World Cup Final and a Semi-final, Sydney fans will be
guaranteed that their Semi-final on November 16 will feature the Kangaroos
should they reach that stage of the Tournament.
Confirmation of the
allocation ensures a spread of feature matches throughout the major cities with
Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Townsville, Rockhampton, Gold Coast,
Newcastle, Penrith, Parramatta, Gosford and Wollongong all showcasing the
18-match event involving 10 nations.
Townsville will host
the first game of the Tournament on October 25 between England and Papua
New Guinea; with the Official Opening Ceremony on October
26 at the Sydney Football Stadium featuring a clash between New Zealand and the defending champions Australia.
The Opening Ceremony
will also feature an historic exhibition encounter between an Australian
Indigenous team and a New Zealand Maori team.
Melbourne has
emerged as one of the highlight venues of the 29-day Tournament with strong
interest building around Australia’s Centenary year showdown with England at the Telstra Dome on
November 2.
The match places Rugby
League at the centre of a spectacular Melbourne sporting weekend that features
the start of the Spring Racing Carnival with Derby day on November 1 and the
Melbourne Cup on November 4; and an AFL international on October
31.
The Semi-final in Sydney will be held at the Sydney Football
Stadium on November 16, while the other Semi-final will be played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium
the previous day, just one week before the Final.
"We believe we have
been able to ensure a great spread of events that will showcase Australia's premier destinations to
television audiences in over 100 countries," Mr Love
said.
"The excitement
building around the tournament is incredible and the support from broadcasters
and sponsors has ensured that we are going to stage a world-class event that
will showcase the best in Rugby League."
