World Cup: Stoop nearing capacity for Sunday's final

When, last November, it was suggested on here that maybe The Stoop might not be big enough for Sunday's World Cup Final, it was greeted with some amusement. Something along the lines of having 12,500 people  stay behind at Twickenham to watch a free women's game following the Autumn men's international was one thing, but that many coming - and paying - to watch just a women's game? No! Couldn't happen.

Well, if you check the TicketMaster site you will find that - apart from a few individual seats - the East, West and North stands at The Stoop are now sold out for the Final on Sunday, and the South stand is already filling up. With less than 48 hours to go to the clear message is... this really looks like being a sell out.

That means that, at around 15,000 (the official capacity for the ground is 14,816), this will almost certainly be the largest crowd ever to watch women's rugby - and one of the largest for any rugby match this weekend. Ticket sales must have already exceed the crowd at Twickenham last November, so - apart from anything else - everyone at the ground will be able to consider themselves to be record breakers!

If you do not have your tickets yet the lesson from earlier days is - if you want to go make sure you buy now. Don't leave it to the day before - and certainly do not expect to be able to buy tickets on the gate!