September 12th 2014
Rugby fans are being warned avoid being defrauded, by buying tickets and merchandise for next year’s Rugby World Cup only from official sources.
Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and tournament organisers England Rugby 2015 Limited have launched a joint campaign to educate and inform fans on the day that that tickets officially go on sale for the tournament, hosted by England between September 18 and October 31st 2015.
The two organisations are being supported by the City of London Police – the UK’s lead force on fraud – in urging fans go only through official sources for tickets, hospitality, supporter tours and merchandise.
In a first for a Rugby World Cup, authorities have introduced a ‘checker’ to enable fans to verify whether their Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets, supporter tours or hospitality source is official. This is accompanied by an official guide to provide advice on what to look for when buying RWC 2015 products, listing official sources as guidance. RWCL has also produced a short educational video to be shown by rights holding broadcasters.
Debbie Jevans, England Rugby 2015 CEO, commented: “It is our priority to ensure that all fans have a fantastic experience in 2015 and part of achieving that is to make fans aware that only official sources should be used when purchasing tickets to guarantee that the tickets are genuine.”
City of London Police Commander and Police National Co-ordinator for Economic Crime Steve Head said: “Rugby World Cup is one of the world’s biggest sporting events. However, the unfortunate reality is that fraudsters will also be eyeing up this tournament as an opportunity to make a lot of money through sophisticated and very convincing online ticketing scams.” Commander Head added: “We are urging all Rugby fans not to be fooled by cheap or discounted tickets available online and to buy only from official sources. If you do fall victim to ticketing fraud or even if you think you may have, please report it immediately to Action Fraud, now part of the City of London Police.
