Lions Tour looming as the biggest in Australian Rugby history

Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 1:00 AM
AAP
by AAP

The 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia is looming as the most attended in Australian Rugby history following the speed at which tickets were purchased in yesterday’s General Public on sale.

The last time the Lions toured Australia in 2001 around 300,000 people attended the 9 matches.

ARU is confident that number will be quickly surpassed with demand so high for the nine match visit in June-July.

ARU Bill Pulver said ARU was delighted by the extraordinary demand for Lions Tour tickets.

“This is a Tour that has been 12 years in the making, and sporting fans around the country have acknowledged its magnitude by rushing to be part of the event,” Mr Pulver said.

“To see allocations exhausted for the three Test matches and for the Lions match against the Waratahs – four months out from the Tour – is a wonderful endorsement for what will be a truly memorable visit by one of international sports’ most iconic teams.

“It is fair to say this is looming as the most successful Lions Tour in Australian Rugby history.

“Twelve years ago there were 300,000 tickets sold for the nine matches.

“In 2013 we are hopefully on track to reach close to overall attendance numbers of 400,000 for the same number of games.”

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