Scalpers quadruple World Cup tickets

RUGBY WORLD CUP alarm bells are ringing with single tickets to the final being re-sold for as high as $6329.

That’s more than four times the asking price for the best seats in the house that were sold for $1430 under the official ticket allocations.

Fans wanting two tickets side by side could have to fork out as much as $15,000 at this late stage.

The tickets are listed on British online ticket marketplaces like viagogo.com and are a legal alternative to seats being scalped by the notorious touts. But there are concerns that an increasing number of people are getting their hands on as many tickets as they can just to make a quick profit with expensive re-sales in the lead-up to the tournament that England hosts in September and October.

Seats to the showpiece October 31 final are obviously at a premium after official tickets to all the knockout matches sold out before Christmas.

But greedy moves are being made on lesser games and the All Blacks’ four pool matches are victims of the price hikes as fans clamour to see the defending champions in action.

Top prices for some All Blacks viagogo.com are staggering.

To watch Steve Hansen’s side open their defence against Argentina at Wembley Stadium could cost almost $2000.

Even the clash with African easy-beats Namibia at London’s Olympic Stadium four days later could mean a $900 outlay.

Tickets for New Zealand’s match with Georgia in Cardiff on October 2 are going for more than $800 and the final pool match with Tonga in Newcastle on October has tickets priced in a similar range.

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