Fans warned over counterfeit Rugby World Cup tickets

With less than a month to go until the Rugby World Cup 2015 kicks-off fans are being warned to only buy from official sources after the discovery of counterfeit tickets.

The City of London Police are now working with Tournament Organisers, England Rugby 2015, and Tournament Owners, Rugby World Cup Limited, to carry out a full investigation.

There are around 50,000 tickets still available for 27 matches via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. These include:

  • France v Italy at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday September 19

  • Australia v Fiji at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday September 23

  • New Zealand v Georgia at Millennium Stadium on Friday October 2

  • Canada v Romania at Leicester City Stadium on Tuesday October 6

An image of one of the counterfeit tickets. Credit: England Rugby

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Clark, from the City of London Police said: "Ticketing fraud is a cold-hearted crime that preys on people's dreams of having a once-in-a lifetime experience - such as watching the greatest Rugby competition in the world in England and Wales."

Scotland's Sean Lamont and Italy's Alessandro Zanni during the World Cup Warm Up Match at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. Credit: PA

Any tickets bought from unofficial sources can be cancelled without a refund under Rugby World Cup's ticket terms and conditions, England Rugby have said.

Fans who are concerned that a sale may be fraudulent or that they may have been sold counterfeit Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets should visit:

Fans can use the Official Checker to find out whether a seller is legitimate via http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial.