Don’t let touts ruin Rugby World Cup, urges local MP

Plymouth MP, Alison Seabeck, has written to Sport Minister Helen Grant to encourage her to legislate so that touts cannot sell-on highly sought-after Rugby World Cup tickets, as was successfully done for the 2012 Olympics.

The Rugby World Cup is the third biggest international sporting tournament in the world and when tickets go on sale in August this year they will be in great demand. The organisers want to protect rugby fans ion the same way as was done for the Olympic and Paralympic Games so that it will be illegal to offer them for sale through secondary ticketing markets, however the Government has refused to act.

Alison Seabeck said: "A huge number of my constituents play Rugby Union, and many follow local professional side Plymouth Albion. I am sure many of them will be hoping to attend some of the 3 World Cup games to be played at Sandy Park, in nearby Exeter.

"I am therefore concerned that legislation, such as that used for the successful 2012 Olympics, has not been introduced for the Rugby World Cup to protect rugby fans from being fleeced by touts.

"The Rugby World Cup is thought to be the third largest sporting event worldwide and I would hate for my constituents to miss out on watching world class rugby locally - perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity. I have therefore written to the Sports Minister asking her to reconsider and have another look at introducing legislation to prevent ticket touts from pricing out true rugby fans in Plymouth and the rest of the South West."