Still almost 4000 test tickets left

THE test is seven days away and Dunedin could be about to be put to shame.

The third test of the series between France and the All Blacks is set to be played at Forsyth Barr Stadium next Saturday night.

There are plenty of tickets left — mainly down the ends of the stadium, and there is a push for all tickets to be sold.

The first test in the series in Auckland was sold out with a crowd of more than 46,610 and the game in Wellington tonight is expected to be a full house of 34,709.

But in this neck of the woods the fullhouse sign is nowhere to be seen.

A week out from the test, there are just under 4000 tickets left to be sold. The capacity of the stadium is 28,000. Noone wants to be secondbest compared to the full houses up north.

There has been plenty of competition for events this year in Dunedin but All Black tests do not come around too often.

In fact, the All Blacks are unlikely to be seen in Dunedin for at least two years.

The World Cup next year means no countries from the northern hemisphere will come south to play tests in June.

So there will only be two tests in New Zealand and they are likely to be in the North Island.

The earliest the All Blacks could be back in Dunedin is 2020, a long time to wait to see the world champion. The Otago union is keen to get the stadium full, as is DVML.

Otago Rugby Football Union community rugby manager Richard Perkins urged everyone to get in and buy a ticket.

‘‘Who would not want to come along to the best stadium in the world to watch rugby?’’ he said.