SA Rugby dismisses 'misinformed' reports of near-empty Ellis Park for England test

SA Rugby have publicly dismissed reports that Ellis Park would be less than a third full for Saturday’s Nations Championship opener against England in Johannesburg, calling the projected attendance figures ‘entirely erroneous and misinformed’.

Mid-week reports suggested only around 21,000 tickets had been sold for the fixture at the 61,000-capacity stadium. SA Rugby moved swiftly to counter those claims, stating the figures were not supported by actual sales data and that assertions of a lack of public interest were ‘unfounded’.

‘SA Rugby hopes to get close to the historic average against England in SA of 91% of the stadiums’ capacity,’ the governing body said in a statement, adding that the market is currently absorbing tickets for four Tests and two provincial matches against the touring All Blacks.

Earlier in the week, SA Rugby had also pointed to the economic impact of the war in Iran as a factor in slower-than-usual early sales. ‘The impact of the war in Iran has undoubtedly had an impact on everyone’s pockets, which is reflected in the retail industry as well as in ticket sales,’ a spokesperson told Rapport.

Despite the slower start, SA Rugby expressed confidence that final sales would pick up ahead of kick-off. ‘Tickets will be available until kick-off, and we are hoping for a strong week of final sales for the start of a major new competition,’ the spokesperson added.

Saturday’s match is the first of 11 Tests the Springboks are scheduled to play in 2026, a year out from their Rugby World Cup defence in Australia.