WALES EYE FIJI RECORDS
The figures have been recorded following a sharp uptake in tickets for the game against Wales’s 2007 World Cup opponents Fiji. The ‘sold-out’ signs for the games against the Tri-Nations sides New Zealand, South Africa and Australia were put up weeks ago, leaving the gamer against Fiji as the only one with any room next month. But with almost 40,000 tickets for that game already having been snapped up by Welsh fans, the Fijian match is also heading for a potential full-house.
“With the games against the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies already 74,000 sell-outs, we are now concentrating all our efforts on filling the Millennium Stadium for the game against Fiji,” said Millennium Stadium chief executive Paul Sergeant. “The up take for that game is already way ahead of those for the games in last year’s series against Romania and Japan and we could be on course to break the 50,000 record crowd that watched Fiji play their first game in Cardiff against a Wales XV back in 1964.
“The message to everyone who still wants to come and watch Wales play next month is to book up sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment.
“To make the sales process even easier, especially in half-term week, fans will be able to purchase tickets over the counter at the Millennium Stadium Ticket Office, 98, St Mary Street, Cardiff.”
WRU chairman David Pickering knows what it is like to play against the free-flowing Fijian in Cardiff having been in the side that beat them 40-3 at Cardiff Arms Park in 1985. The scoreline that day was the best achieved by a Wales team since 1910 and the game also featured current Wales team physio Mark Davies, WRU commercial manager Paul Thorburn, BBC pundit Jonathan Davies and Cardiff Blues chief executive Robert Norster.
“Fiji always present a unique challenge, they play with a lot of flair and their players seem to have an innate ability to play the game of rugby,” added Pickering. “I’m sure our coaching team will be looking to pick up as much information as possible about them, as we all know we will meet them in the pool stages of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
“What I remember most about the times I faced them as a player is the free-running and natural passing game they always employ, but this Wales has some exciting players of its own and that should make for a spectacular match come 11 November.
“It will be a wonderful family night out at the Millennium Stadium with tickets just £10 for adults and £5 for children and the game represents another chance for our Grand Slam champions to further test themselves against the best world rugby has to offer.”
Already more tickets have already been sold for this year’s November Tests than were sold last season when a record 221,158 watched the matches against South Africa, Romania, New Zealand and Japan.
“There has been a staggering demand to see Wales play in the Invesco Perpetual Series,” added WRU chief executive Steve Lewis. “We deliberately kept the prices low for our Friday night fixture with the Fijians so that mums and dads could bring their children to watch the Six Nations champions in action.
“In many ways, that fixture is even more important than the others next month because Fiji are in our World Cup Pool. While there are still tickets left for Fiji, the signs are that it won’t be long before we have to put up the ‘sold out’ signs for that game as well. The message to everyone has to be buy your tickets now.”
Wales’s current record against Fiji is eight wins from eight, with just five of those games being awarded caps. Tickets priced at £10 and £5 can be purchased by phone on 08705 582 582 or online via the Ticketmaster website, www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
For information on purchasing a debenture, contact the WRU debenture office by phone on 029 2082 2431 / email debenture@wru.co.uk.
There is also limited availability for Official WRU Corporate Hospitality for the Invesco Perpetual Series. Hospitality packages are highlycompetitively priced, starting at £99 + vat, and offer some of the best
seats in the house. For information on Official WRU Corporate Hospitality, contact the WRU commercial department on 029 2082 2410 / 2411 / 2413 or e-mail corporatehospitality@wru.co.uk.
