The general public ticket ballot for the 2019 Rugby World Cup opened online Wednesday "following an unprecedented 2.5 million applications for the initial priority ballots," according to KYODO. The application phase for the general public runs through Nov. 12, "with oversubscribed matches being entered into a ballot system." Applicants will be informed of the result of the ballot via email on Nov. 26. Category A tickets are the most expensive of the four groupings, with the opening match between Japan and Russia held at Ajinomoto Stadium costing 50,000 yen ($445). Category A tickets for the final held at Yokohama's Nissan Stadium are set at 100,000 yen ($891). RWC 2019 Organizing Committee President & CEO Akira Shimazu said, "Demand for Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets has been incredibly strong with more than 70% of the available inventory sold during the initial sales ballots that ran until June this year" (KYODO, 9/19). In Tokyo, Rich Freeman reported Shimazu said that the "highest demand" was for matches "featuring the host nation Japan, world champions New Zealand, as well as Ireland, Australia and England, with interest across the knockout stages also incredibly strong." To make things easier, World Rugby "set up a traffic-light indicator on the ticketing site to give potential purchasers the best chance of securing tickets." The site also recommends the use of tournament sponsor Mastercard, "as fans can double their chances by securing a double entry with their ticket ballot application" (JAPAN TIMES, 9/19).
