The 2015 Rugby World Cup in England was the Fifth Largest Single-Sport Event Ever

The 2015 Rugby World Cup in England was the fifth largest single-sport event ever, when ranked by ticket sales according to a report compiled by EY.

The Economic Impact of the Rugby World Cup 2015 revealed that 2.5m tickets were sold for the event, ranking the event behind the football world cups in Brazil (2014), Germany (2006), South Africa (2010) and South Korea and Japan (2002).

The competition, which ran in September and October 2015, sold 98% of the tickets available which generated around £250million in revenue.

The eye watering figures generated by the tournament reached £2.3bn (US$3.4bn, €3bn) in economic output, adding £1.1bn (US$1.6bn, €1.4bn) to UK GDP.

Rugby Football Union (RFU) Chief Executive Ian Ritchie said the tournament was a “celebration of rugby, which inspired the country, and the world, to play and support the game”.

The newly appointed World Rugby Chair Bill Beaumont added, “This new report reflects the Rugby World Cup’s status as one of the best-loved and most prestigious major sports events, while highlighting the significant social and economic benefits that make the tournament such an attractive low-investment, high-return hosting proposition for governments and unions alike.”