Organisers of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand have blamed a variety of factors for the fact that the opening game between the All Blacks and Tonga is still not sold out.
The match will kick off the tournament later today (Friday) after an opening ceremony, but there still may be empty seats in Eden Park.
Tournament officials have blamed the Christchurch earthquake and the global financial crisis for the disappointing sales.
"[The financial crisis] has probably added to the challenge of it," said RWC chief executive Martin Snedden. "You couple that with what happened in Christchurch with the earthquake and the effect that had on all out arrangements - it’s pretty significant.
"But we’ve made our adjustments as we’ve gone along and we’re pretty happy with the way we’re sitting now."
Some commentators, however, have said that high ticket prices mean that most fans can’t afford the seats, with remaining tickets for the opening clash priced at $460 (£240) apiece.
New Zealand stand to make $153m (£80m) from the tournament, which the International Rugby Board says will be reinvested into the sport.
