21 October 2023 , 11:36
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England's Rugby World Cup semi-final clash against South Africa will be played with thousands of empty seats after organisers were slammed for anti-competitive ticket prices.
Steve Borthwick's side entertain the Springboks - a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final - at the Stade de France on Saturday evening. England secured a 30-24 win over Fiji to reach the last four, while South Africa scrapped past France 29-28 in a blockbuster affair to secure their passage to this stage.
But, as per the Daily Mail, the semi-final showdown will be played with less supporters following ticketing issues, which saw over 2000 available on the World Cup website on Friday. Remarkably, prices are ranging up to £300 and premium seats are costing up to £500 as they still haven't been sold yet at the time of writing.
It comes after tournament organisers took some secondary ticket sale sites to court earlier this year. They wanted to make sure they took primary control over ticket sales and also to ensure that any ticket sold would be returned via their own website at face value, rather than at a heightened cost.
Premier League football and English cricket have previously partnered with StubHub and Viagogo to make sure tickets are sold at discounted prices. Viagogo managing director Cris Miller told the Daily Mail: "Attempts to control markets harm fans by limiting their choice, flexibility and access. It also risks empty seats when so many people would love to experience these huge events.
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England fans were in full voice against Fiji (Getty Images)"Rugby fans who have purchased tickets to knockout games their teams will no longer feature in want the flexibility to recoup some, if not all, of their money via a safe platform, whilst giving other supporters a chance to watch their team. Fans want a transparent, competitive and regulated secondary market and that is why it is essential we provide a safe and open marketplace to help them gain access to events."
As for the game itself, England head coach Steve Borthwick said: "There is always belief that is strong in this team. There are players that have performed at the very highest levels. They can't wait for this.
"Through this tournament the team has progressed, with the players repeatedly finding a way to win, sometimes in challenging circumstances. We will once again need to be at our very best this weekend."