Boost for Lions tour as Tests sell out within hours

The British and Irish Lions tour next year has received a major boost, with two of the three Tests against South Africa selling out within hours of going on sale, despite the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The South African Rugby Union has received unprecedented demand for tickets, and the second and third Tests, at the Cape Town Stadium (55,000 capacity) and Ellis Park (62,500) in Johannesburg, are understood to have sold out on the first day of going on sale when the ticket ballot opened last Wednesday.

It is understood that the first Test, to be held at Soccer City in Soweto, which has a capacity of just under 90,000, is also close to selling out, while demand for ticket sales for the five provincial games is also said to be strong. The SARU ballot remains open until Sept 16.

The news comes after SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux warned last month that the five-week tour, which kicks off in Cape Town on July 3, with eight matches in six cities, could fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic if travelling fans are prevented from attending.

It is not yet clear how many Lions supporters have managed to buy tickets, given that the ballot was restricted to fans based in South Africa. On the 2009 tour of South Africa, the hosts were surprised by the thousands of Lions fans who managed to secure tickets to create a “sea of red” in each stadium.

The Lions have also been inundated with registrations for their official allocation of 500 tickets per Test for their own ballot. Lions fans can purchase tickets through official travel packages, with over 30,000 expected to attend the tour.

It is thought that thousands of tickets made available on the South African ballot will have been purchased by Lions supporters.