By 5.30pm yesterday, the first day in a period where Otago and Southland people can get preferential bookings for the test, 14,138 tickets had been sold.
The majority of those had previously been reserved by members of the rugby community, but the union yesterday reported queues - a rare sight at Carisbrook in recent years - for cash sales in the morning and at lunch-time.
"We've sold 2319 tickets today and we're absolutely stoked with where we're at," ORFU marketing manager Chris Green said.
Later, about 300 people watched a game of Rippa rugby and celebrated the 72nd birthday of special guest Colin Meads at the Octagon launch of public ticket sales.
A rare collection of rugby greats and identities, including Meads, Kevin Skinner, Laurie Mains, Chris Laidlaw, Ray Bell, Josh Kronfeld and Marc Ellis, watched pupils from Tahuna Intermediate do battle on a pint-sized park below the Robbie Burns statue.
"What could be more perfect than this? The sun is shining and Robbie is looking down on us," Laidlaw said.
Ellis was still trying to come to grips with his place at the top table alongside greats like Meads and Skinner.
"I don't know how the hell I got roped in with these guys. Maybe they think I can get a few students along or something," Ellis said.
Ellis and Laidlaw tried out their kicking skills before the official festivities began, and Ellis and Kronfeld wrapped the Rippa belts around their waists and took part in the game.
A Tahuna kapa haka group performed and led the singing of Happy Birthday to Meads.
The great former lock also cut a 70kg, 2m-long cake in the shape of a rugby field to mark his own special day and 100 years of test rugby at Carisbrook.
Launch day ended with a rugby quiz at Carisbrook.
