Japan 2019 World Cup Tickets In High Demand

Nearly a year out from the World Cup in Japan, the ticketing programme in place has started well with over 864,000 applications, from over 100 countries, for team and stadium packs.

The first phase of applications went from the 19th to 26th of January in Japan, and then the 27th to the 12th of February for international fans. But there will be more chances to get tickets throughout 2018 and 2019 too.

In team pack applications, of course Japan lead the way with over 100,000 England received over 50,000 and then Ireland along with New Zealand got 30,000.

Yokohama lead the way in stadium applications with over 200,000 and Tokyo followed with over 140,000.

Related: All you can see, do and eat in Yokohama

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted with the initial demand for Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets more than a year out from the tournament, which demonstrates the domestic and international attraction of Asia’s first Rugby World Cup.

“Rugby World Cup is all about the fans and the players and today’s announcement reinforces our belief that Rugby World Cup 2019 will be a very special celebration of rugby and Japanese culture. It really will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Japan Rugby 2019 CEO Akira Shimazu added: “This strong demand for tickets reflects the excitement that we are feeling the length and breadth of Japan. Significant applications from the host cities show that this tournament is connecting with people beyond the host cities, while the team packs show that this nation will warmly embrace all teams and visiting fans.

Excitement: Huge demand for tickets shows just how excited fans are (Getty Images)

However, according to Rich Freeman of Kyodo News, there have been several problems due to this fantastic demand for tickets.

Freeman reports: “a number of fans have had issues trying to pay for the tickets, the deadline for which was March 7. Not only were emails and phone calls unanswered but some fans said that after receiving a “system error” on their online application, they had lost the “pay button” on the service.”

A spokesman for Japan Rugby 2019 said on Thursday, “We are aware of the problem and will be issuing instructions to fans who have had problems,”

“The problem is to do with security with the credit card company. A lot of the payments are for large sums of money and these have not been processed.”

For more news about the World Cup in Japan and Japanese rugby, follow Rich Freeman on Twitter.

Despite these ticketing problems, the significant demand for tickets shows just how appealing the World Cup in Japan is. No doubt it is going to be a brilliant tournament with the fans being at the epicentre of the excitement.

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