There are tentative smiles from New Zealand's rugby World Cup organisers after domestic ticket applications for next year's tournament made an explosive start.
A week out from the official launch of applications to the general public, chief executive of Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd Martin Snedden was boosted by the response to priority sales for members of the "rugby community" yesterday.
In 24 hours, there were about 5000 applications for team or venue pool match packages, significantly more than had been expected.
The rugby community comprises any registered club players, coaches, referees, volunteers or administrators who are involved in the running of rugby.
"That sounded really good to us," Snedden said of yesterday's response.
"We're really stepping into the unknown. This is much, much bigger than anything that's happened in New Zealand in any previous event.
"While we have expectations and financial forecasts, the reality is we don't know what's going to happen.
"When we have days like yesterday, that's really motivating, it's good."
The response of venue box holders and provincial union season ticket holders at each of the 13 match venues was still being processed but Snedden said "it was a very strong uptake".
With about 1.65 million tickets to be sold for the tournament, Snedden compared the early response to the first two percent of votes having been tallied on an election night.
However, the interest shown, in conjunction with compelling figures from the sale of top-end packages overseas, was reason for quiet confidence.
The feedback had been positive from the two corporate hospitality companies appointed by the International Rugby Board to sell packages that include in-stadia hospitality, corporate boxes and lounges.
"Lots of corporate box packages at Eden Park have sold very quickly, notwithstanding the price of them," said Snedden, who was particularly encouraged by the response out of England.
"It is going extremely well. The England travel market is huge for us so that's really encouraging."
The tournament's 20 official travel agents have had packages available since January 1 and Snedden said one of them, England Rugby Travel, was poised to announced their sales were 37 percent better than at the same stage before the 2007 tournament in France.
Applications for pool packages begin on Tuesday next week -- 500 days out from the tournament's kickoff -- with about 750,000 tickets made available in New Zealand and overseas in what RNZ 2011 Ltd has labelled phase one of the sale process.
To mark the occasion, the Webb Ellis Cup will be on public display at Wellington Railway Station, coincidentally the same day the football World Cup trophy visits New Zealand, where it can be seen in Auckland.
Phase two begins in August or September when individual tickets will be released for all matches except the semifinals and final.
Ticket applicants in phase one or two may enter the ballot, probably in November, to purchase tickets for the semifinals or final.
"We know it's going to be a long, hard slog for some matches and other matches will go really quickly," Snedden said.
"I'm sure there's a scarcity value around the major matches and we expect in the smaller venues, people will have to be in quick to get their tickets."
Snedden said the pool matches at major venues that don't involve the All Blacks would be the most challenging to sell out.
