British Lions fans (Getty Images)
Supply will trump demand for ticket ballot purchase for the British & Irish Lions’ eight-match rugby extravaganza in South Africa in 2021.
But fans should not be stressed about not getting in their request on time – they have time to do so from Wednesday, 2 September (10:30) until Wednesday, 16 September (23:59 SA time).
It is the biggest rugby show of the year and one of the greatest sporting occasions of 2021.
Already, 155 000 fans have visited South Africa’s official online site and 53 000 have registered for ticket purchase interest.
It is why this is not a one day purchasing exercise but a two-week event in preparation for the biggest global rugby show in 2021.
Fans who register between 2 and 16 September will have an equal chance of a ticket purchase.
Entering the ballot, however, does not entitle them to or guarantee a ticket. It is not a first come first serve system.
The ticket ballot, as acknowledged for all elite global sporting events, is the fairest allocation of tickets, so fans shouldn’t be concerned if they haven’t put in their request within the first hour. They have until 23:59 (SA time) on the 16 September.
There are eight matches to apply for and fans can request a maximum of eight tickets per match. Again, this does not guarantee they will get what they requested.
Fans will know by the end of September whether their ticket request was successful.
Organisers however warned: “Please be cautioned that if you are a South African resident or a resident outside of the United Kingdom and Europe, the only place to request tickets to any of the eight tour matches is through the ballet on the official site of www.lionstour2021.co.za.
“If you are a South African resident in South Africa, no tickets purchased outside of the official South African online site will be recognised. This also applies to residents in the United Kingdom and Europe, who have to apply on the official Lions Tour site www.lionsrugby.com.
“Applicants in South Africa will have to use the ballot to apply for tickets to their preferred match, ticket category and quantity.
“After the ticket ballot application phase has been completed, the draw will take place by a computerised selection process and applicants will be notified of the outcome of the ballot.”
EXPLAINER
*Please be aware that when entering the ballot from 2 to 16 September, due to the anticipated high demand, you may be placed in a queue before entering the ticket platform. This will show up as Queuelt. Please appreciate that 200 visitors will be accommodated every one minute. You don’t lose out, if you are in the Queuelt, as you have until 16 September to apply for tickets.
The way the Queuelt system works, is that as soon as it is your turn you will automatically be allowed in to apply for tickets.
It is recommended entering your email address at the bottom of the page to be notified when it is your turn in the queue.
Clicking the link in the email will bring you back to your real time place in the queue.
You must be logged in within 30 minutes once it is your turn, otherwise you will have to rejoin the back of the queue.
Do not close your browser while waiting, as you may lose your place in the queue.
The British & Lions, who tour South Africa every 12 years, will play their first match against the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium on 3 July 2021 and the eighth and final match is the third Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 7 August.
The Lions last visited South Africa in 2009 when the world champion Springboks won the three-Test series 2-1.
The Lions and Springboks, who first played each other in 1891, have contested 46 matches. The Springboks have won 23, the Lions 17 and six have been drawn.
The Bulls were the last South African provincial team to beat the Lions on the 1997 tour.
