Paris 2024 Rugby Sevens Draws Record Crowd Despite Over a Million Unsold Tickets
Paris 2024 began with an unprecedented turnout for the rugby sevens on Wednesday at Stade de France, with a crowd of approximately 69,000 fans. This crowd marked the largest single-day attendance in rugby sevens history despite over one million unsold Olympic tickets just days before the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
SVNS league winners Argentina led the charge, securing their place in Thursday’s quarter-finals with decisive victories in the men’s tournament. They were joined by formidable squads from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the double Olympic champions, Fiji, all advancing to the next stage.
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“We wanted to get the Games off to a spectacular start, but, wow, today was special. A single-day record crowd for rugby sevens, an incredible atmosphere, and, of course, scintillating rugby. Sevens brought its A game, and the world was watching,” World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said in a statement.
Despite the record-breaking attendance for the rugby sevens, concerns about unsold tickets for other events are still evident. Over a million tickets remain available, casting doubt on the potential for sell-out crowds across the board. Notably, general admission tickets for the popular 100m finals are still up for grabs.
Additionally, all ticket sales for the Paris 2024 Olympics have been handled centrally by the Organising Committee rather than distributed through the National Olympic Committees. Organizers have hailed this approach as a success despite the high number of unsold tickets, with Paris 2024 breaking the record of 8.3 million tickets sold or allocated during the Atlanta 1996 Games.
