Johnson reveals RWC 2015 ticket design
England Rugby 2015 today unveiled the official design that will feature on Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets for each of the tournament’s 48 matches.
The five variations were revealed by Rugby World Cup 2003-winning captain, Martin Johnson, at Twickenham Stadium.
The unique design celebrates the rich history of the tournament, featuring the Webb Ellis Cup at its centre, alongside four Rugby World Cup winning captains, John Eales (Australia), Francois Pienaar (South Africa), Johnson (England) and Richie McCaw (New Zealand), representing the nations who have been victorious at previous Rugby World Cups.
Across the lower half of the ticket is a representation of the fans, who are at the heart of the tournament. The four designs, developed in three colours, will be issued for all matches throughout the pool phase, quarter and semi-Finals as well as the bronze Final.
The tickets for the eight matches that will be played at the Millennium Stadium will also feature information in Welsh. A special gold design has also been developed for the final and features one of the host nation’s most celebrated sporting moments, Jonny Wilkinson’s dramatic drop goal at the final of Rugby World Cup 2003.
Tickets will be issued next month and once received fans will have the opportunity to bring Rugby World Cup 2015 to life through the use of Blippar’s augmented reality technology, with unique activations developed as part of the ticket design.
In a first for a major sporting event, the technology will allow fans to create a 3D interactive experience through their smart phones.
By scanning any Rugby World Cup 2015 match ticket with the Blippar app, fans will be able to unlock exclusive content with England 2015 ambassadors and Rugby World Cup 2003 winners Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Greenwood previewing the match fans are attending, a 360-degree view of the stadium they are going to and, from August, a view from their seat and navigational tools to help them get to the match, complementing the fan-first, location-sensitive experience.
On unveiling the ticket design, Johnson said: “It is an honour to feature as part of the ticket design for Rugby World Cup 2015. Winning in 2003 holds some very special memories for me. Everyone can remember where they were when Jonny kicked that drop goal, so it’s very apt that one of the host nation’s finest sporting moments is marked in the special ticket for the final.
“Rugby World Cup 2015 looks set to be a great and global celebration of rugby and with tickets still available for some great matches, there is still a chance for fans to be there.”
Managing Director of England Rugby 2015, Stephen Brown, added: “We are pleased to reveal the Rugby World Cup 2015 ticket design which aims to celebrate rugby and the history of Rugby World Cups.
“By featuring these iconic Rugby World Cup-winning captains, we are commemorating the four countries that have lifted the iconic Webb Ellis Cup and of course as host nation celebrating one of the game’s most celebrated moments through Jonny Wilkinson’s famous drop goal on the final ticket.
“We are delighted to introduce a Rugby World Cup first, using augmented reality technology as part of the ticket design to enable fans to engage with the Tournament through interactive content, which is a really exciting piece of activation.
“With another day of high ticket demand yesterday, excitement for the Tournament continues to grow and with ticket distribution about to begin, it will start to become very real for fans.”
World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset added: “The Rugby World Cup is all about the fans, the shared experiences and unforgettable moments. Today’s ticket design reveal represents another exciting milestone for fans around the world as they plan their Rugby World Cup experience.
“With excitement building and teams well into their detailed preparations, we are looking forward to what promises to be a very special Rugby World Cup that is great for the host nation and great for rugby worldwide.”
Yesterday saw around 30,000 tickets sold as more went on sale via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. There are currently around 50,000 tickets available to buy for 20 matches including England vs Uruguay at Manchester City Stadium, Australia vs Fiji at the Millennium Stadium, New Zealand vs Tonga at St James’ Park and South Africa vs Samoa at Villa Park.
Fans can continue to sell any unwanted tickets through the official resale service via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. In order to enjoy the best possible spectator experience and not be let down or misled, Rugby World Cup 2015 are urging fans to only buy tickets from official sources.
