About 200,000 tickets still unsold for New Zealand's rugby World Cup

WELLINGTON, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand officials said on Tuesday about 200,000 Rugby World Cup tickets worth about 60 million NZ dollars (49.33 million U.S. dollars) are still available with just 17 days before the tournament kicks off.

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said a strong performance by Australia in the tournament would push ticket sales towards the target of 268.5 million NZ dollars.

McCully said he was comfortable with how sales were tracking, and they were "pretty much on target" for the 42-day tournament.

However, a loss of 39 million NZ dollars would be shared by the government and the New Zealand Rugby Union even if the target was reached, he said.

McCully will head to Australia later Tuesday for three days to promote interest in the tournament, addressing sporting and political figures in Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney.

The focus of ticket sales was firmly on Australia and New Zealand, said McCully.

New Zealanders commonly bought tickets in the final lead-up to games, and interest would continue to rise during the tournament.

Rugby World Cup 2011 chief operating officer Therese Walsh said sales were currently running at about 1 million NZ dollars every three days.

About 20,000 tickets worth 4 million NZ dollars had been sold in the last two weeks.

The final, the All Blacks versus France and the South Africa- Samoa game had all sold out. The France-Canada match and the Italy- USA game had almost sold out.

Around 95,000 rugby fans from 100 countries are expected to come to New Zealand next month for the Rugby World Cup, according to organizers Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011).

Before the Rugby World Cup, the highest revenue-generating event in New Zealand's history was the 2005 British and Irish Lions Tour, which had grossed 24 million NZ dollars.

The IRB Rugby World Cup, the third largest sports event in the world, first kicked off in 1987 and is held every four years.

A total broadcast audience of more than 4 billion people saw the 2007 tournament in France.