South Africa and New Zealand ticket demand outpaces England at Twickenham finals

South Africa and New Zealand have sold out their team-specific ticket allocations for the Nations Championship finals weekend at Twickenham, while tickets guaranteeing entry to England’s match remain on sale, according to the Guardian. The newspaper reported on Wednesday that England’s team-specific tickets were available for £164.80, with tickets for the other nine participating nations also available at that price.

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The difference concerns tickets that guarantee supporters access to their chosen nation’s rankings match, rather than every seat across the weekend. Day tickets and packages covering two or three days are also being offered. The Guardian reported that the team-specific allocation had been increased last week in response to demand, but South Africa and New Zealand had still attracted stronger interest than the hosts.

Overall, approximately 60-65% of tickets for the finals weekend have been sold, the report said. Interest rose after the July fixtures, and organisers remain positive about the event’s appeal. Six rankings matches will be held at Twickenham in November, with two games on each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday bringing the competition’s inaugural edition to a close.

The final on Sunday will bring together the leading team from the northern pool and the leading team from the southern pool. The remaining rankings matches pair countries according to their corresponding positions: second against second, third against third, and so on. South Africa led the southern standings at the halfway stage, although the final match-ups have yet to be determined.

England still have pool fixtures against Australia, Japan and New Zealand before the finals weekend. Their most recent match at Twickenham ended in a 42-21 defeat by Ireland during the Six Nations, the Guardian noted. Steve Borthwick’s side therefore enter the remaining programme with their team-specific finals allocation still available, even as two visiting nations have exhausted theirs.

South Africa have become regular visitors to Twickenham outside matches against England, playing Argentina, Wales and New Zealand there in recent years. More than 80,000 spectators attended their victory over New Zealand in a 2023 World Cup warm-up. London also has a sizeable New Zealand expatriate population, providing further background to the demand for the two southern hemisphere teams reported this week.