If Ireland gave the All Blacks' hopes of winning the World Cup a fillip when they beat Australia last Saturday, then the country's taxpayers heard on Tuesday that they are also likely to benefit because of a sudden rush for tickets.
When New Zealand bid for the World Cup it assumed it would make a loss of around NZ$39m (£20.5m), with the government agreeing to pick up two thirds of the debt and the rugby board, the NZRU, the rest. In fact things looked to be financially a lot worse as little as two weeks ago, when travel agents were reported as looking to offload tickets, but suddenly targets look like being met.
With a general election due in less than two months the government and the board are both looking to get closer to breaking even, especially with local sales taking up slack in the market. At some stadiums, especially where Ireland are playing, the demand is so great that even seats with partially blocked views are on sale.
At the halfway stage of the pool rounds, nearly half a million people have attended games and the number of tickets sold has jumped to 1,280,000, with none left for eight more pool games. According to Mike Jaspers, Rugby NZ's spokesman, the board is confident of reaching its target of NZ$268.5 in sales.
"We're right on track," said Jaspers. "For us this is evidence that regions in particular are getting behind the Cup. It's really exciting to see so many great gates at those provincial venues."
Sold-out signs are already up for Wednesday's game between Tonga and Japan, hardly a top ticket in world rugby, at Whangarei, and for the prime contest between the All Blacks and France at Eden Park on Saturday only discounted seats are available.
Stadium Otago, the arena with a fixed roof in Dunedin, is selling only "impeded views" for Ireland's final pool game, against Italy, following the rush for tickets which followed the defeat of the Wallabies. Eden Park is also on track to sell out for all its remaining fixtures, bar England versus Scotland – a game which may yet decide the fate of both sides.
All of which is a great change from the eve of the event, when travel agents were seeking to offload tickets and packages for the semi-finals and final, lopping NZ$100 off a NZ$1,000 deal, despite them having paid premium prices.
