Only 500 Days to the Rugby World Cup 2011


By Kath
April 26 2010

There are 500 days to go (on Tuesday 27 April 2010) before the greatest Rugby Tournament in the world kicks off and former England fly-half and Rugby Football Union Elite Rugby Director Rob Andrew has praised the growth of the event and the interest from fans.





500 Days To Go Until Rugby World Cup 2011 


Rog Andrew’s comments come after England Rugby Travel, an Official Travel Agent of Rugby World Cup 2011 and the official travel company for England fans, reported record sales of its official supporter travel packages last week, with income up 37 per cent on the same sales period ahead of Rugby World Cup 2007, France.



Rob Andrew, who played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup 1987 and the next two in 1991 and 1995, said: “The growth and expansion of Rugby World Cup in the last 20 years is just extraordinary.  “Rugby World Cup has now taken off to such an extent, that each one has got bigger and bigger in terms of the number of people travelling, the event itself and the interest from the pool phase right the way through to the Final.”


Andrew, who ranks third in England’s all time Rugby World Cup points scorers list, said: “It’s that feeling of ‘this is my team and I’m here, I want to be here’, because if you didn’t go and you missed out on something as special as what can happen at any Rugby World Cup, it never comes back. That’s what top class sport has developed into, people want to be there and they can say that they were there.”


More than 1,200 tickets have already been sold by England Rugby Travel in its range of official travel packages. With the most popular packages being the quarter-finals through to the Final, England Vs Scotland in the pool stages through to the Final and the semi-finals through to the Final.




“Looking back to France 2007 and Australia 2003, what struck me more than anything was the number of England fans travelling, arriving, attending and following the team. At times it felt like you were at Twickenham, it was just incredible,”said Andrew.



The demand from England fans in the opening six weeks of sales for the Rugby World Cup 2011 travel programme has been very positive and visitors to the official website http://www.englandrugbytravel.com/rwc2011 has increased by 22 per cent since the launch six weeks ago.



“The support for the England Rugby team has always been fantastic at home and the RBS 6 Nations, but the interest in Rugby World Cup 2011, and previous Tournaments, has taken this to a new level,” said Andrew.  

“The Tournament in Australia 2003 developed the level of support from England fans to a different level, and that was continued in France 2007, and now New Zealand looks like being a once in a life time experience that fans want to be part of.”



For more information on the England Rugby Travel official supporter travel packages please visit http://www.englandrugbytravel.com/rwc2011 or call 0844 788 5000.




Some Rugby Facts, Figures and Statistics



Top 5 – England Rugby Travel Supporter Travel Packages

· Quarter-finals to Final

· England v Scotland to Final

· Semi- finals to Final (Queenstown)

· Opening Two Pool Weekends (including the opening ceremony)

· All of England’s Pool matches



Top Five England Rugby World Cup Point Scorers

· Jonny Wilkinson (249 points)

· Jonathan Webb (99 points)

· Rob Andrew (85 points)

· Paul Grayson (84 points)

· Rory Underwood (49 points)



Top Five England RWC Try Scorers

· Rory Underwood (11 tries)

· Will Greenwood (7 tries)

· Dan Luger (6 tries)

· Josh Lewsey (6 tries)

· Neil Back (5 tries)


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Only 500 Days to the Rugby World Cup 2011
Discussion started by Unofficial England Rugby Union , 26/04/2010 17:35
Unofficial England Rugby Union
26/04/2010 17:35
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whingebasher
26/04/2010 17:46
Quick, someone go and tell Martin Johnson.

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