Special RWC 2011 Christmas Ticket Offer

Members of the global Rugby family will be able to purchase Rugby World Cup 2011 tickets on a first come, first served basis from 09:00 (New Zealand time) on December 1, 2010 in a special Christmas offer.

“It’s a great chance for fans to buy tickets as gifts for family and friends and we are making special print-at-home certificates available online for those wanting to attach their ticket purchase confirmation as a Christmas gift,” said Shane Harmon, General Manager Marketing and Communications for Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011).

This offer comprises tickets remaining from the recently completed Phase 2 of ticketing. A similar public offer was extended in July after the completion of Phase 1.

Tickets are not available for all matches as some are currently oversubscribed; including the New Zealand v France at Eden Park, New Zealand v Japan in Hamilton, France v Canada in Napier and both quarter-finals in Christchurch.

There are excellent seats available for many exciting RWC 2011 matches, including the opening match between New Zealand and Tonga, some of the big Eden Park pool matches, as well as the Wellington quarter-finals.

Fans should visit www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets to view available matches and seating categories.

Tickets purchased in this period do not qualify for entry into the ballots for the semi-finals and Final. Only tickets applied for during Phase 1 (Venue and Team Pool Packs) and Phase 2 (Individual Match Tickets) qualified. Fans will find out in February whether they have been successful or not. RNZ 2011 will release full details of the ballot in the New Year.

RNZ 2011 will provide a full update on ticket sales to date at a Tournament Update on December 16.

Notes to Editors

Official Travel and Hospitality Programme: Fans who have missed out on the chance to enter the ballots for the semi-finals and Final can guarantee their tickets through the Official Travel and Hospitality Programme. Visit www.rth2011.com for more information.

About Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd: Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd was established in June 2006 and is the organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand on behalf of its shareholders, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the New Zealand Government. RNZ 2011 Ltd is governed by a Board of Directors. The New Zealand Rugby Union was selected as the Host Union for RWC 2011 by the International Rugby Board Council in November 2005.

About Rugby World Cup: The Rugby World Cup is the third largest sports event in the world. The inaugural Tournament took place in 1987 and it is held every four years. In 2007 the sixth tournament was held in France and enjoyed a cumulative worldwide broadcast audience of more than 4 billion.

For the latest on RWC 2011 visit www.rugbyworldcup.com.

Further Information:

Dominic Rumbles, IRB Head of Communications, +353 868 520 826, email dominic.rumbles@irb.com