SA Rugby statement: 'Misinformed' reporting on England at Ellis Park

SA Rugby have hit out at the misreporting of the projected ticket sales at Ellis Park for the visit of England in the first round of the inaugural Nations Championship on Saturday.

Reports mid-week claimed only around 21,000 tickets had been sold for the Johannesburg fixture, with the 61,000-capacity ground potentially facing an attendance of little more than a third of its capacity.

SA Rugby have moved to dismiss those figures.

The statement reads: “Predictions that the attendance would be little more than 21,000 were entirely erroneous and misinformed.

“SA Rugby hopes to get close to the historic average against England in SA of 91 per cent of the stadiums’ capacity in a market in which tickets are on sale for four Test matches and two provincial matches against the touring All Blacks.

“Assertions of lack of interest are unfounded and not supported by the actual sales data.”

Earlier in the week, SA Rugby had pointed to the economic fallout from the war in Iran as a contributing factor in slower-than-usual 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. “We hope to get close to the historical average attendance against England in South Africa, which is 91 per cent of the stadium’s capacity.

“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.”

Saturday’s fixture is the first of 11 Tests for the Springboks in 2026, a year out from their World Cup defence in Australia.