The Ticketmaster "fiasco" spread to the Rugby World Cup on Thursday after organizers confirmed that "they have been forced to postpone the sale of tickets for Britain's biggest event since the Olympics," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. England 2015 announced that "its beleaguered distribution partner, which was this week ordered to close its ticketing website and call centre for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, had requested a similar suspension over the World Cup." Half a million tickets were due to go on sale on Friday to rugby clubs on a first-come, first-served basis "but Ticketmaster asked for more time to test a similar online ticket system to that which collapsed under the weight of demand over Glasgow 2014." England 2015 said in a statement, "Tournament organisers England Rugby 2015 today announce that the Rugby World Cup 2015 Rugby Community Ticket Sale will now launch on Thursday 29th May at 1pm. ... Up to a million tickets will go on general sale from 12th September to 29th September 2014 – these dates were announced last week, and have not changed" (TELEGRAPH, 5/15).
