Organisers of the test between the All Blacks and France in Dunedin on June 13 are repeating last year's experiment of giving Otago and Southland people first chance to buy the best seats.
Tickets for the test, the first between the sides since France's upset win in the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff, are actually available now for members of the rugby community, including registered club players.
Public sales start on April 24, when Otago and Southland residents will have until May 10 to book their tickets.
"It worked well last year," Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid said of the locals-first scheme, which debuted ahead of the All Blacks' test against the Springboks last year.
"When tickets went on full public sale last year, only 500 were left out of 28,000. It seemed an obvious idea to do it again.
"One of the key messages is that while you can get tickets at the gate for Super 14 or Air New Zealand Cup games, you can't with test matches.
"This is our event. It's a Deep-South event. To offer tickets to those who live here seems the right thing to do."
There was much excitement last year as the test against the Springboks, the world champions, was the first test Carisbrook had held in three years.
It also marked 100 years of test rugby at the ground.
While a test against France - which has made a habit of sending weakened teams in the June window - 12 months later might be seen as a lesser fixture, Reid is optimistic the All Blacks will play in front of a sell-out crowd.
"It's probably marginally a harder sell, but only marginally.
"This is the first game since the quarterfinal in Cardiff. That's a good pull. And it's the first time the All Blacks have played France at Carisbrook as well.
"Clearly, Australia and South Africa are big attractions, but England and France are your next big teams."
A ticket launch will be held in Dunedin on April 24.
What form that will take is expected to be known soon.
The ORFU will again run the junior rugby incentive, where the junior clubs from around the region that sell the most tickets get to play in the curtain-raiser.
The Dunedin City Council is launching a website (franceindunedin.co.nz) later this month, with a diary of activities happening around test weekend.
It was a false line of thinking last year, but there could again be a feeling Carisbrook's days as a test venue are numbered, with no guarantee of a test next year and many hoping a new stadium will be built in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Reid said it was premature to start writing eulogies for Carisbrook and the ORFU would not promote the French test as some sort of emotional farewell.
"Allocations haven't been made for 2010, but clearly a sell-out this year would help us.
"The World Cup has been based around the games being played here, but if the new stadium was ready they would be transferred there."
