Phil ''Gus Gould'', Penrith Panthers' executive general manager, at Christchurch's AMI Stadium to promote Penrith's 'home' game there against the NZ Warriors in May.

The promoter of the Penrith Panthers-Warriors game in Christchurch is searching for a funding partner to make 2000 cheaper tickets available to rugby league juniors.

More than 4000 tickets have been sold in a week for the National Rugby League match at AMI Stadium on May 14 and organisers are confident of a sell-out at the 17,800 ground.

The Panthers have pledged to host a home game in Christchurch for the next four years and will visit schools and hold junior coaching clinics in the city.

Papanui Rugby League team manager and sponsor Nigel Thompson has expressed concern at the cost of children's tickets, claiming the cheapest junior price was $29 for an open stand seat behind the goalposts.

"I have checked out Mt Smart prices for kids [at Warriors games] and in Sydney and all around $10 to $15," Thompson said.

"Yes, AMI will be a sell-out, and I get that, but let's be brutally honest, most league kids and their families won't be able to afford to go."

Thompson, who told Fairfax last year he had put $80,000 into the Papanui club through his car sales business, said he was disappointed the Canterbury Rugby League [CRL] and the promoters, Enth Degree, had not offered "all the clubs 100 tickets at a reduced price, thus ensuring the kids who actually play league get to go".

Thompson made his concerns known to Penrith executive general manager Phil Gould. He said Gould had told him that the ticket prices were set by the promoters, not the club and Penrith had been told the game was likely to sell out.

Enth Degree chief Justin Wallace, a CRL board member, said it had always been his intention to offer cheaper ticket prices to league juniors but it was dependent on getting financial backing for the project.

"We are knee-deep trying to find a funding partner to help us bring in 2000 tickets for kids, at $10 a pop.

"If Mr Thompson wants to fund us to be able to make tickets affordable for kids, we'd be very happy to talk to him."

Wallace said he had been "involved in the rugby league community for many years" and "every step down the path" of the Penrith visit was "for the benefit of rugby league".

"For someone to complain that we are not considering rugby league is a bit on the nose, and quite rude, to be frank."

Wallace was also involved when Wests Tigers and the Roosters brought NRL matches to Christchurch and said those events were "very much in-and-out" events.

"When we started talking to the Panthers, we had two choices. The Panthers could have come in and played the game and left, and we would have paid X-amount."

But the promoters opted for a longer, multi-year association with Penrith "coming here multiple times in the year, not just for the game".

"That obviously costs a whole lot more."

Wallace said the Panthers game was only confirmed in late November when the NRL released its 2016 season draw.

"We weren't able to approach any prospective commercial partners until then."

He said it had always been his intention to find a backer to defray the costs of children's tickets. He hoped that would happen this year or in future seasons with the Panthers committed to one game in Christchurch for the next six years.

"We are all working hard behind the scenes to make it more affordable. But we are not in a position where we can give away tickets just because it's a nice thing to do.

Wallace said tickets sales were "going gangbusters" with strong demand for "the whole mix" of seats, including family packages and junior tickets.