Ticket sales are on track for New Zealand-hosted games to exceed 700,000 spectators at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
That would lift the average attendance to more than 24,000 per game.
With three games left to play in New Zealand, more than 590,000 fans have packed into stadiums in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin, averaging 22,703 for the 26 matches played.
The three remaining games are quarter-finals to be played at Auckland’s Eden Park and Wellington’s Sky Stadium, and a semi-final scheduled for Auckland.
Based on their most recent games, the combined attendance at the remaining games will likely exceed 110,000, pushing the tournament total to more than 700,000.
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The support for the tournament puts paid to fears that New Zealanders would not get behind it.
The host cities
- Auckland’s Eden Park has so far hosted seven games, drawing 255,988 fans (average 36,570 per game).
- Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato held five games, with 59,549 spectators (average 11,970).
- Wellington’s Sky Stadium has so far hosted eight games, with attendance of 199,061 (average 24,882).
- Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium held six games, drawing 75,690 fans (average 12,615).
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How the crowds compare
For comparison, the women’s Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in 2022 drew 150,179 spectators to its 26 games (average 5,776).
In 2011, when New Zealand hosted the men’s Rugby World Cup, the 48-match tournament attracted 1,477,294 spectators (average 30,777). Attendances were helped by larger capacities at stadia such as Eden Park which could hold 60,000 before its redevelopment.
This year’s largest attendance at Eden Park for a Super Rugby match was 23,990 for the Blues-Crusaders, in a competition that generally drew crowds of between 10,000 and 20,000.
The story so far
Attendances for the games played so far in New Zealand (in order of size):
43,217 — Switzerland v Spain (Eden Park, Auckland)
42,958 — United States v Portugal (Eden Park, Auckland)
42,137 — New Zealand v Norway (Eden Park, Auckland)
41,107 — United States v Vietnam (Eden Park, Auckland)
34,697 — Norway v Philippines (Eden Park, Auckland)
33,042 — Japan v Norway (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
32,357 — New Zealand v Philippines (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
30,889 — Italy v Argentina (Eden Park, Auckland)
29,143 — Sweden v Italy (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
27,312 — United States v Netherlands (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
25,947 — New Zealand v Switzerland (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
22,966 — Spain v Costa Rica (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
20,983 — Spain v Zambia (Eden Park, Auckland)
20,957 — Japan v Spain (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
18,317 — Sweden v South Africa (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
17,907 — Sweden v Argentina (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton)
16,111 — Zambia v Japan (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton)
14,967 — South Africa v Italy (Sky Stadium, Wellington)
13,711 — Philippines v Switzerland (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
11,991 — Netherlands v Portugal (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
10,769 — Switzerland v Norway (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton)
8,834 — Argentina v South Africa (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
8,215 — Vietnam v Netherlands (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
8,117 — Costa Rica v Zambia (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton)
6,992 — Japan v Costa Rica (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
6,645 — Portugal v Vietnam (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamiton)
Total attendance: 590,288
Average attendance: 22,703 (after 26 of the 29 games)
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