Lions tour tickets going fast

Almost 22,000 tickets for the British and Irish Lions tour opener against Bay of Plenty next June have been snapped up by New Zealand rugby fans.

The New Zealand Rugby Union have made 28,550 tickets for the match at the Rotorua International Stadium available in the public ballot and up to Thursday 21,427 tickets had been requested by those registering.

Registration for any of the 150,000 tickets, covering all matches, available in the ballot ends on December 24 with the ballot the only way members of the public can get tickets – aside from hospitality packages.

Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Paul Abbot is expecting a sellout well before June and warned All Blacks fans not to leave it too late to get tickets.

Following the tour opener on June 4 the Lions play Taranaki, New Zealand Maori, Wellington, Otago, Southland, Manawatu and Auckland as well as three Tests against the All Blacks.