Tickets to sold-out test soar online

Tickets to this weekend’s sold-out Bledisloe Cup match are being resold at more than three times their original price on Trade Me.

Tickets to the Eden Park game originally cost between $75 and $95, but tickets listed on Trade Me yesterday had bids of up $260.

There are 20 tickets listed on the auction site — and with as many as 46 people watching some of the listings, the prices are likely to go up further as competition heats up nearer to the closing time.

The match, which kicks off at 7.35pm tomorrow, is the third and final game between the All Blacks and Wallabies at Eden Park.

Auckland Rugby Union project manager Grant McKenzie said public tickets for Saturday’s game at Eden Park went on sale on July 18 and were all sold out within three to four weeks except for a few single seats.

“This now happens with all All Black test matches,” he said.

McKenzie said Auckland Rugby Union was aware of the secondary sales of tickets on some resale sites but did not have a position on the matter.

“We neither support or condone this method.”

The Major Events Management Act, introduced ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, gives officials greater powers to combat scalpers. However, the law only applies to major sporting tournaments.

Last year, after tickets to the Super Rugby final fetched up to $1500 online, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce ruled out new laws targeting scalpers.

Betting agency TAB has the Wallabies at odds of $10 to win, versus $1.30 for the All Blacks.