World’s Largest Scrum at Twickenham as Tickets go On Sale for Rugby World Cup 2015
World Record broken for the largest rugby scrum
1,008 people from around the host nation took part
Event marks the start of the 18 day ticket sales window1,008 people took part in the world’s largest Rugby scrum at Twickenham Stadium on September 12 to mark the day that tickets went on public sale for Rugby World Cup 2015.Among the participants, who beat the previous record of 946, were Rugby World Cup winners Piri Weepu, Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Greenwood, Wales Head Coach Warren Gatland, and other former and ex-players. There were also representatives from those across the country helping to plan and deliver Rugby World Cup 2015 including; England Rugby 2015 staff, host cities and venues, RFU, IRB, Rugby World Cup commercial partners and volunteers who have applied to be part of ‘The Pack’.Chief Executive of England Rugby 2015, Debbie Jevans said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a fitting way to kick off the public sale of tickets to rugby’s showcase event. This event brought together 1,008 people from organisations involved in Rugby World 2015 and I want to thank them all for their support. Everyone who took part is now a World Record Holder!””Tickets are now on general sale at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. Fans have until September 29, 2014 to apply, so there is no rush. With prices starting at £15 for adults and £7 for children, it’s a great opportunity to watch world class rugby in venues across England and Cardiff.”
International Rugby Board CEO and Rugby World Cup Limited Managing Director added: “It is great to see England 2015 confirmed as a record-breaker before the event kicks off. Indeed all the indications are that Rugby World Cup 2015 will be a very special record-breaking event on many levels and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world and the teams to what promises to be a fantastic celebration of Rugby and the host nation. Congratulations to every record-breaker who took part in the scrum.”
In order to be recognised as a new world record the scrum had to follow a number of rules:
The scrum comprised players in three rows on either side in proportion to a normal rugby scrum (3:2:3 proportions for the front, second row and back row)
The ball was successfully fed in from the side and hooked through the back of the scrum
The scrum was officiated by IRB international referee Wayne Barnes
Organisers undertook a full risk assessment to ensure the safety of all participantsRugby World Cup 2011 winner Piri Weepu said: “I’ve put the ball into a few scrums in my time but this was a fun new experience. Playing in a Rugby World Cup it is always good to have strong support so I hope large numbers of Kiwi supporters will take the opportunity to travel over next year.”Rugby World Cup 2003 winner Phil Vickery said: “Being part of the world’s largest scrum today, alongside over 1000 people, was a fantastic experience and it was nice to run out on the Twickenham pitch again. Over the next year I’m sure Rugby World Cup 2015 will set plenty more records. Now is the time for fans to get involved in the build-up and with tickets going on sale today fans can really start to get excited and gear up to next year.”Up to one million tickets across 48 matches of Rugby World Cup 2015 are on general sale until September 29, 2014. Tickets are priced in four categories for all matches, starting at £15 for adults. Child tickets, priced from £7, are available for 41 matches. People can apply for tickets at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. Fans will need to create an account on the website in order to apply, and can apply for up to four tickets per match. For 15 of the 48 fixtures each individual can apply for up to 15 tickets.Tickets will not be sold on a first come, first served basis. Fans can apply for tickets at any point between September 12 and 29, 2014. The application window closes at 1800 BST on Monday September 29, 2014. Oversubscribed matches and price categories will go to ballot to ensure fair allocation and fans will be advised of the tickets they have successfully been allocated in October, 2014.
The easy-to-use ticketing platform incorporates a number of tools to help fans. The new ‘Match Manager’ tool allows fans to limit their spend by submitting an application for several matches but capping the number of matches they can be allocated. Fans can also opt to be allocated tickets at the next highest price category in the event that tickets at their selected category are oversubscribed or unavailable. Use of both tools is optional.
To help guide people whilst making their choices, there will be a ‘traffic light’ indicator system on the website to show which matches are receiving a lot of applications and are likely to go to ballot.
Editors Notes
Some of the participants in the world’s largest scrum at Twickenham Stadium were:
International Rugby Board CEO, Brett Gosper
England Rugby 2015 CEO, Debbie Jevans
Rugby Football Union CEO, Ian Ritchie
International Rugby Board CEO, Brett Gosper
Wales Head Coach, Warren Gatland
Argentina International Gonzalo Camacho
Italy international, Marco Bortolami
Rugby World Cup 2003 winners (Eng) Phil Vickery, Lawrence Dallaglio & Will Greenwood
Rugby World Cup 2011 winner (NZ) Piri Weepu
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 winner (Eng) Maggie Alphonsi
England players Dylan Hartley, Alex Corbisiero
Former Scotland International, Rory Lawson
Former France International, Serge Betsen
Former Ireland International, David WallaceRugby World Cup 2015 Ticketing Information:
The general ticket application window opens September 12 until September 29, 2014, via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com
Up to 1 million tickets will go on sale as part of the general sale
Tickets for all 48 games, including knock-outs and final, at all price categories will be on general sale
Matches that are oversubscribed will be balloted; fair and transparent sales programme
In October members of public will be notified of the tickets they have secured, dates to be confirmedImages are available to download for editorial use: http://sportsassignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyisports?nav=pr244183664Fans are advised to buy official not to miss out and to visit the dedicated official checker at www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial
MasterCard is the Preferred Card and Official Payment System of Rugby World Cup 2015.About MasterCard: MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter@MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.About Rugby World Cup: Rugby World Cup is the financial engine behind unprecedented investment and growth in Rugby worldwide. The net Rugby World Cup surplus from the commercial success of France 2007 and New Zealand 2011 has enabled the International Rugby Board to invest more than £150 million in the Game between 2009 and 2012 and commit an anticipated injection of more than £180 million between 2013 and 2016 to underwrite a large range of major funding initiatives including annual national Union grants and strategic investments focusing on growing participation and increasing competition across all 121 national Member Unions affiliated to the IRB.About England 2015: Rugby World Cup 2015, hosted in England between September 18 and October 31, will be a celebration of Rugby and its unique character-building values, exciting and inspiring the nation and the world to play and support the Game. England Rugby 2015 are the organising committee for Rugby World Cup 2015 and will deliver the six-week tournament, hosted in 10 English cities and in Cardiff, Wales. Thirteen match venues will play host to the 48 games that will celebrate and engage more than two million spectators, including more than 400,000 international travelling fans.Tackle Hunger: Tackle Hunger is a partnership between the International Rugby Board and its official humanitarian partner, the UN World Food Programme, which highlights the importance of good nutrition not just to play Rugby but to enable children to develop both physically and mentally. For Rugby World Cup 2015, the Tackle Hunger Million Meal Challenge aims to generate one million meals for the WFP school feeding programme to help nourish the bodies and minds of the world’s hungry. A series of planned activations including donation opportunities, social media activity and in-stadia messaging will encourage the Rugby family to take up the challenge to help build a brighter future for undernourished children. To find out more, visit www.irb.com/wfp
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