SALES: An extra 10,000 foreign visitors are now expected to arrive for the Rugby World Cup, but ticket sales from Australia remain soft.

An extra 10,000 foreign visitors are now expected to arrive for the Rugby World Cup, but ticket sales from Australia remain soft and organisers still have more than 230,000 tickets to sell.

Organisers yesterday revealed updated ticket sales figures, revealing a $1million boost in sales in the three days since the All Blacks beat the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday night.

They also hit back against polling that last week suggested many Kiwis were not looking forward to the tournament, issuing research of their own that showed 54 per cent of people felt it was an event "all New Zealanders should celebrate".

"It's very apparent now that public confidence, public interest and public enthusiasm about the World Cup is growing stronger," RWC 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said.

He revised the expected visitor numbers for the third time since New Zealand clinched the hosting rights, with up to 95,000 now believed to be arriving for an average 23-day stay.

Britain and Ireland were expected to send about 25,000 fans, France about 10,000, and a "pleasantly surprising" 10,000 would come from the Americas.

There has been concern that ticket sales in Australia were below expectations, and Mr Snedden yesterday said there would be "a continuing effort" across the Tasman to attract more fans.

"We still see Australia as being our best bet offshore and there will be a continuing effort going into that market to try and persuade more people resident in Australia to come over," he said.

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said he and Mr Snedden would travel to Australia for a final push ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup test match in Brisbane.

The Government – which is underwriting two thirds of the expected $39m loss on the tournament – was "very comfortable" with progress, Mr McCully said.

"But we've still got some work to do, particularly in Australia."

For every dollar under the $268m targeted from ticket revenue, the loss will increase on what was predicted.

So far, $234m of ticket revenue has been collected with about 230,000 tickets still to be sold before, and during, the tournament to meet the target.

"We have a very achievable target. We have to keep going the way we are but if we do, I think we'll get there," Mr Snedden said.

Projected foreign arrivals were above what had been expected but ticket sales were not doing as well because local people bought their tickets late, he said.

The success of the Bledisloe Cup "dress rehearsal" match at the weekend had helped boost local interest.

"We know we've got plenty to do in all sorts of areas around that, but the fact is that it was a success," Mr Snedden said. A few more tickets to some games would be made available in "dribs and drabs" in the weeks ahead.

People in the earlier ballot process who had been unsuccessful would get the first offer of any new tickets.

IRB and Rugby World Cup Ltd chairman Bernard Lapasset said he was confident the tournament would be "a resounding success".