Tickets for the NPC final were "flying out the door" in the garden city, more than half sold by yesterday afternoon.
NPC games at Apollo Projects Stadium had not had all three stands open, but a Canterbury Rugby spokeswoman said all stands would be open and the game was proving very popular.
"Our ticket operators have said to us they have never seen anything like this in terms of selling tickets to a final. They are going so quickly," she said.
She did not have an exact number of tickets sold, but well over half of the tickets had gone already. As the game was five days away, it was hoped it would be sold out.
She could not say where all the tickets were being bought, but there was bound to be a good presence of supporters coming up from Otago.
Ticket prices had not been increased for the playoffs, and a good crowd had turned up for the semifinal, she said.
The capacity for Apollo Projects Stadium is just over 17,000.
The stadium is set to be mothballed next year, to be replaced with the new $683 million stadium in central Christchurch.
DVML chief executive Paul Doorn said if the final was played in Dunedin, all three stands would have been opened, and he would have hoped for a sell-out.
Though it was a long weekend and people might head out of Dunedin, the game would have been a drawcard.
Last Friday night was the first time this year — apart from the French test — when the North Stand at the stadium was used.
Mr Doorn said the bigger-than-expected crowd had led to the stadium being caught out somewhat, with some thirsty and hungry patrons in the North Stand.
A crowd of nearly 11,000 turned up to Friday night’s semifinal between Otago and Bay of Plenty.
He said it was always a balancing act to get enough staff on, and it was disappointed it did not get enough staff at the North Stand, with lengthy queues for food and drink at the beginning of the game.
The stadium is still in with a bid for one of the four home tests next year — France, Italy, Ireland and the Wallabies.
