Fans during the Fiji vs Georgia match [Source: World Rugby]

Following two spectacular weeks of Rugby World Cup action, total ticket sales for the tournament have surpassed the 1.8 million target set by the Organising Committee before tickets went on sale in January 2018.

With the optimisation of stadia configurations and handbacks from commercial partners and participating unions, limited quantities of new ticket inventory are being added to the official Rugby World Cup 2019 ticketing site.

Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee CEO Akira Shimazu said: “To have surpassed our target of 1.8 million tickets sold is an incredible achievement. It underlines just how much this tournament has captured the imagination of rugby fans both here in Japan and throughout the world.”

With such huge demand for tickets comes inevitable incidents related to ticket scams, touts selling fake tickets and third-party websites selling tickets unofficially. Cases have been reported at several Rugby World Cup 2019 matches, with fans having purchased tickets through unofficial sources being denied stadium access.

While the numbers are relatively small compared to the tens of thousands of fans who have enjoyed matches without issue, incidences are likely to increase as demand for tickets reaches fever-pitch with remaining pool matches set to determine which teams go through to the knock-out stages and the inevitable increase in demand for tickets to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, bronze final and final.

To ensure the once-in-a-lifetime experience of attending a Rugby World Cup match in Japan isn’t ruined by being refused venue entry, fans are reminded to purchase tickets exclusively through official Rugby World Cup 2019 sources and to use the official ticketing resale service located at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “I congratulate the Japan 2019 Organising Committee on reaching the 1.8 million ticket milestone, which again demonstrates just how Rugby World Cup 2019 has captured the hearts and minds of a nation and the global rugby family. While tickets remain available, our advice to fans is to only buy through official channels to avoid being disappointed.”

With tickets also available through the Official Supporter Tours and Hospitality at www.rugbyworldcup.com/supportertours and www.rugbyworldcup.com/hospitality, fans can check the validity of an intended match ticket source via www.rugbyworldcup.com/buy-official.

Remaining Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets are available at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. These include the last remaining tickets for a selection of matches, new ticketing inventory through stadia optimisation and handbacks, as well as all tickets offered for official resale by fans no longer able to use their tickets. Resale tickets are available for sale until two days prior to match kick-off.

With tickets distributed as individual printed tickets, stadium or team pack bundles or self-print e-tickets, fans are advised to check the information on their tickets and ensure they are ready for entry into the stadium. Holders of self-print e-tickets are strongly advised to print their tickets well in advance of arriving at their match venue as access to mobile networks and Wi-Fi in and around stadia on match-day cannot be guaranteed.

Fans should also keep up to date with all the latest Rugby World Cup 2019 information, including the location of the Fanzones and official merchandise stores via the multi-lingual official App, Twitter and website, including the @Japan2019_ENG fan information Twitter handle for all the latest travel, weather and venue information.