Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015 off to a record-breaking star



  • Tournament proving to be the most accessible Rugby World Cup to date, attracting record numbers in stadia and fanzones and through broadcast and social engagement figures
  • Total match attendance nears the one million mark, including record-breaking attendances at Wembley Stadium and The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
  • Nearly 400,000 spectators attend the official fanzones to soak up the atmosphere of the tournament
  • #RWC2015 trends globally on all match days and official Rugby World Cup App downloaded by more than two million fans
  • Rugby World Cup 2015 set to be the biggest tournament to date with sales of more than 2.39 million  
  • Limited tickets for great matches still on sale at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com 
Rugby World Cup 2015 organisers England Rugby 2015 and Rugby World Cup Limited today announced record-breaking engagement at the halfway point of the pool stage, as total match attendance approaches the one million mark.

The fantastic tournament atmosphere and compelling rugby is capturing the hearts and minds of fans nation and worldwide, with official fanzones full to capacity, #RWC2015 trending globally on all match days, and TV viewing figures reaching record levels.

Rugby World Cup 2015 is on track to be the biggest Rugby World Cup to date, and total match attendance figure to date has reached 972,921, helped by two record-breaking attendances at Wembley Stadium - 89,267 fans attended the Ireland v Romania match there, surpassing the previous weekend's record-breaking Rugby World Cup crowd of 89,019 for New Zealand v Argentina.

The most competitive tournament to date, it is not just the top teams that are attracting the attention. Playing in front of packed stadia, teams including USA, Georgia, Japan and Namibia have received strong support with Romania playing in front of 140,000 fans across just two pool matches.

The official fanzones throughout England and in Cardiff have seen fans keen to soak up the match atmosphere and feel part of the international event, with 378,000 visitors to date passing through the doors since opening. Brighton's Madeira Drive set the standard during Japan's electrifying 34-32 Pool B win over South Africa which saw 20,000 fans visit the fanzone to enjoy the action. The Cardiff Arms Park fanzone atmosphere was electric as Welsh fans relished their team's 28-25 defeat of host nation England. Leicester, Manchester, Milton Keynes and Newcastle will all be opening up their fanzones to fans in the coming weeks as Rugby World Cup 2015 comes to their area.

Rugby World Cup Limited has confirmed the tournament has attracted some of the highest broadcast audience figures around the globe, including in Japan, the host nation for Rugby World Cup 2019. The 20 million audience there for Japan v Scotland represents the second-highest ever national TV audience in Rugby World Cup history, behind the 20.7 million viewership for the Rugby World Cup 2007 France v England semi-final. In the UK, a peak audience of 9.4 million UK viewers tuned in to host broadcaster ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup 2015 opening ceremony and kick-off match between Fiji and England on 18 September. The England v Wales match was watched by an average of 10.4 million viewers, the largest rugby audience in the UK since the 2007 final.

Overall, Rugby World Cup 2015 is shaping up to be one of the most spoken about sports events on the planet with social media activity on track to surpass the total volume achieved across the whole of New Zealand 2011 by the end of this weekend. The official Rugby World Cup App, available at www.rugbyworldcup.com, has already been downloaded by more than two million fans. The digital content offering, delivered in four languages, has seen more than 18 million visitors to rugbyworldcup.com and one million users of the official #RWC2015 hashtag as it has trended globally on all match days, and video views on social platforms in excess of 60 million.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "Rugby World Cup 2015 is proving to be a very special and record-breaking global celebration of rugby that has fan experience at heart. This is already the most talked about rugby event ever on social media and the most talked about sporting event of 2015 in the UK, and there is no doubt that the unforgettable moments are inspiring new audiences around the world to get active and get into rugby.”

England Rugby 2015 Managing Director Stephen Brown said: "We're delighted that fans new and old have taken Rugby World Cup 2015 to their hearts, and are embracing all the excitement, drama and passion that comes with hosting such an exciting world-class event on home soil. We are thrilled to secure two Rugby World Cup record breaking attendances within the first two weeks of the tournament and approach a total of one million fans enjoying such compelling rugby in our match venues. There is a true celebration of rugby taking place across the country, and to see nearly 400,000 fans pass through our fanzones on matchdays and non-matchdays, really reflects the reach of this event.  We're confident that this is just the start and with a limited number of tickets for some great matches still on sale at www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets fans can still be part of the action.”

Fans are being urged to snap up the remaining tickets via official channels so as not to miss out on the spectacle. Tickets are still available at www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets and supporter tours and hospitality are available at www.rugbyworldcup.com/supportertours and www.rugbyworldcup.com/hospitality respectively.

Fans can also take advantage of the Official Resale Service via www.rugbyworldcup.com/tickets if they can no longer attend matches. This is the official, safe and secure way to sell to tickets to fans at face value. 

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour entry applications open tomorrow


A reminder to all prospective 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour riders: Online entry applications open on Wednesday, 09 September 2015 at 1pm and will stay open for two and half weeks, closing on Monday, 28 September at 1pm.

Entry applications amount to an indication of interest only and do not ensure entry.  Cycle Tour entries will be awarded at random, regardless of whether interest is registered on the first or the last day of the application period.

In August 2015, the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust (CTCTT), organisers of the annual iconic event, announced a new online entry application process for 2016 which has been introduced to eliminate the quick sell-out of entries and improve cyclists’ overall experience.  David Bellairs, a CTCTT director, says: “This is the first time Cycle Tour has moved away from the first-come-first-serve entry mechanism, and we believe this new system will ensure a more equitable and inclusive process for all prospective riders.  We want to remind applicants that they do not need to rush to be the first in line as soon as the portal opens. Instead, they are able to apply for an entry at their convenience during the allocated period, giving all eager riders a fair chance to access the online portal to register their interest and to update their details at the same time.”

The Cape Town Cycle Tour takes place on Sunday, 06 March 2016 and is limited to 35,000 riders.  All entry applicants must follow the clear three-step process to apply for a 2016 entry. 

How to apply for a public entry to the 2016 Cape Town Cycle Tour:

·         Entry application:
From Wednesday, 09 September at 1pm until Monday, 28 September at 1pm, prospective local and international riders can apply, free of charge, for an entry at www.capetowncycletour.com.

·         Entry confirmation:
During the week of 2 October, successful applicants will receive an email notification from the Cycle Tour Events Office, advising them that their application has been successful. 

·         Securing an entry:
Successful applicants will have until Monday, 26 October at 1pm to make payment which will secure their entry.  Payment not received by this date, or should the applicant opt to decline the entry awarded to them, will result in that entry being made available to a previously unsuccessful rider.  Local general entries will cost R470 per rider.

Corporate Group entries will no longer be available this year, so those who have made use of these in the past will need to follow the public entry application process.  A certain number of the entries will be made available via charity groups at varying costs and unsuccessful applicants or corporate group riders are encouraged to support a worthy cause by entering via one of the successfully listed charities.

Follow @CTCycleTour on Twitter or like the official Cape Town Cycle Tour page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CTCycleTour) for regular updates.


For any event queries, or assistance with entries, please contact the Cycle Tour Events Office during office hours on 087 820 7223 or visit www.capetowncycletour.com