The West Australian
October 20, 2011, 5:14 pm

World Cup chiefs say they have achieved their ticket sales revenue target with two matches still to play.

Sales have exceeded the $NZ268.5 million ($A209 million) target set more than two years ago by Rugby New Zealand 2011, which is running the tournament.

RNZ 2011 chairman Brian Roche said sales this week from the final tranche of tickets for Sunday's final between New Zealand and France and Friday's bronze final between Australia and Wales, both being played at Auckland's Eden Park, had pushed revenue to $NZ268.7 million ($A209.15 million).

Overall, 87 per cent of available tickets have sold.

"Ticket revenue eclipses by more than 11 times the previous largest grossing event in New Zealand history: the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour," Roche said.

"Sunday's sold-out final alone has generated more than $NZ50 million ($A38.9 million) in revenue, twice that of the Lions tour.

"We achieved this against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment and the tragic Christchurch earthquakes."

New Zealand's World Cup minister, Murray McCully, said the tournament had been a "wonderful celebration of New Zealand and proof that this small country can successfully hold a large and complex event like a Rugby World Cup".

"We could not have wished for a better platform to promote ourselves to the world," he said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...ue-target-met/