WELLINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - The slow resale of World Cup tickets from relocated Christchurch matches was causing concern for organisers still hoping for a final surge to achieve their targets, the tournament chief executive said on Wednesday.
All seven matches originally scheduled for Christchurch, including two quarter-finals, had to be relocated after a Feb. 22 earthquake devastated much of the central city and eastern suburbs and badly damaged Lancaster Park.
The tournament, which runs from Sept. 9-Oct. 23, kicks off in 100 days and the milestone will be marked with a glitzy ceremony at New Zealand's Parliament later on Wednesday.
"It's a pretty tough ask because there is a big difference in going to events in your own city and then being asked to think about having to go all around New Zealand," said Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden.
"We always expected the quarter-finals would have a reasonable take-up and the England-Argentina match (now in Dunedin) would do okay but the rest of the matches are far more likely to be affected badly by what has happened," he told Radio New Zealand.
Organisers had to refund about NZ$20 million ($16.4 million) worth of tickets after the Christchurch matches were relocated. The resales have so far only been available to those who had purchased tickets for the Christchurch matches.
Snedden said the organisers would not confirm the exact resale figures until shortly before all the remaining tickets were released for general sale on July 4.
Tournament organisers are only allowed to keep revenue generated from ticket sales and must underwrite the costs of hosting the tournament and pay a licence fee to the world governing International Rugby Board.
Organisers had budgeted for ticket revenue of about $268 million and an operating loss of about $40 million, which is to be underwritten by the New Zealand government and New Zealand Rugby Union.
Snedden also said that with just 100 days to go until the start, the tournament was now causing him some moments of anxiety and sleepless nights.
"It's interesting, at the moment this is my life and naturally I get excited but a bit anxious and there is a realisation this means a lot for New Zealand and I want to see the event succeed for New Zealand, so sometimes I do miss a bit of sleep."
All seven matches originally scheduled for Christchurch, including two quarter-finals, had to be relocated after a Feb. 22 earthquake devastated much of the central city and eastern suburbs and badly damaged Lancaster Park.
The tournament, which runs from Sept. 9-Oct. 23, kicks off in 100 days and the milestone will be marked with a glitzy ceremony at New Zealand's Parliament later on Wednesday.
"It's a pretty tough ask because there is a big difference in going to events in your own city and then being asked to think about having to go all around New Zealand," said Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden.
"We always expected the quarter-finals would have a reasonable take-up and the England-Argentina match (now in Dunedin) would do okay but the rest of the matches are far more likely to be affected badly by what has happened," he told Radio New Zealand.
Organisers had to refund about NZ$20 million ($16.4 million) worth of tickets after the Christchurch matches were relocated. The resales have so far only been available to those who had purchased tickets for the Christchurch matches.
Snedden said the organisers would not confirm the exact resale figures until shortly before all the remaining tickets were released for general sale on July 4.
Tournament organisers are only allowed to keep revenue generated from ticket sales and must underwrite the costs of hosting the tournament and pay a licence fee to the world governing International Rugby Board.
Organisers had budgeted for ticket revenue of about $268 million and an operating loss of about $40 million, which is to be underwritten by the New Zealand government and New Zealand Rugby Union.
Snedden also said that with just 100 days to go until the start, the tournament was now causing him some moments of anxiety and sleepless nights.
"It's interesting, at the moment this is my life and naturally I get excited but a bit anxious and there is a realisation this means a lot for New Zealand and I want to see the event succeed for New Zealand, so sometimes I do miss a bit of sleep."
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