Earlier this week, Rugby World Cup NZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said no council would be provided with free tickets to matches. However, each had the option to buy up to 150 tickets at full price.
Questions to World Cup organisers over which local government authorities bought tournament tickets were referred to each council.
Yesterday, the Otago Daily Times contacted all local bodies in Otago and Southland, asking if they had bought World Cup tickets.
Replies ranged from Gore District Council's "absolutely not", to Otago Regional Council's "we haven't exercised the right to buy Rugby World Cup tickets, and will not be".
Dunedin City Council Rugby World Cup co-ordinator Debra Simes said the council had not bought any tickets to the Dunedin matches.
Nor had the council bought a box, she said.
Invercargill City Council finance and corporate service director Dean Johnston said while he was unaware of the option that councils could buy up to 150 tickets, he confirmed the council had bought six tickets for each of the two games originally allocated for Invercargill, with the total cost of the 12 tickets $1190.
"At this stage, council hasn't decided on how these tickets will be allocated."
The original Invercargill matches are Scotland v Romania on September 10, and Argentina v Romania on September 17.
Following the Christchurch earthquake, the match schedule was rearranged, and the September 14 Scotland v Georgia game was moved from Dunedin to Invercargill.
Mr Shadbolt said he was unaware the council had bought tickets to the games.
"I thought we were given them by the rugby union."
Mr Shadbolt said he intended going to the matches, but assumed his tickets would have been complimentary.
Asked if was appropriate for councils to buy tickets to rugby matches, Mr Shadbolt replied, "It is a bit unusual, but I suppose this is the tournament of a lifetime".
