SA Rugby justifies high Test match ticket prices

FAIRLY PRICED

- JOHN GOLIATH

SA RUGBY chief executive Rian Oberholzer has defended the current ticket prices for Springbok matches following recent criticism from the public.

South Africans have turned to social media in recent months to vent their frustrations, with many hesitant to spend their hard-earned money to watch the double world champion Springboks.

The 2025 Test schedule is less glamorous than that of 2024, when Ireland visited for two high-profile Tests. This year, the Springboks hosted the Barbarians in Cape Town last Saturday, and will face Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha, followed by Georgia in Mbombela in the coming weeks.

There were many empty seats, especially behind the poles, during the Barbarians match on a bitterly cold and wet day in Cape Town. Thousands of unsold tickets also remain for today’s fixture against Italy at Loftus Versfeld.

Normally, Springbok Test tickets sell out quickly, but it appears the combination of opposition and pricing is making supporters think twice about attending. During a recent investigation, Independent Media compared ticket prices for some of the Springboks’ away matches this year - including the much-anticipated Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park - using the “Big Mac Index”.