There are still around 5,000 tickets still on sale for the England V France rugby league world cup match in Bolton.

With almost three weeks to go, organisers are still hoping for a near-sell-out for the opener and tournament chief executive Jon Dutton says under 5,000 tickets remain for the England V France group game in Bolton.

Although organisers have no doubt they can improve on the total of 458,483 for the last home World Cup in 2013, their target of 750,000 now seems overly ambitious.

The University of Bolton Stadium will host the finals game of England v France game during the group stage of the men’s tournament on October 22.

This is the only game Bolton will host as the finals clash on November 6 will now be at Warrington due to a clash in the schedule on the same day.

The snooker Champion of Champions competition is also due to take place that day and is a permanent fixture at the stadium.

Neil Hart, chief executive of Bolton Wanderers, said: “That game would have clashed with another major sporting event being held at the same time in the shape of the Champion of Champions snooker tournament, which now has a long-term home in the Premier Suite at the University of Bolton Stadium.”

Bolton is now looking forward to the group game and people are encouraged to buy tickets to the game, which promises to be one worth seeing.

Almost 15,000 tickets remain on sale for the opening game of this year’s Rugby League World Cup between England and Samoa.

Jon told a media briefing in Manchester that around 35,000 tickets have been sold for the game at Newcastle’s St James’ Park and that total sales have reached 350,000, edging close to the 382,080 total for the last World Cup in Australia in 2017.

Jon admitted that the cost-of-living crisis in post-pandemic Britain is having an effect on ticket sales but he remains confident about being able to deliver a successful tournament.

READ: Bolton Wanderers' stadium lose Rugby League World Cup quarter final

He said: “We remain incessantly positive, determined and relentless in our bid to deliver the best World Cup in history.”

Buy tickets here.