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Auckland, 27 April, 2010 – MasterCard cardholders who purchase Rugby World Cup 2011 tickets with their MasterCard cards will have twice the chance to secure tickets to the semi-finals and the Final matches.

Tickets to the semi-final and Final matches are only available through a ballot process open to fans who have already applied for tickets for the earlier matches. MasterCard cardholders will enjoy double entry into the ballot for the option to purchase the semi-finals and Final tickets as long as they have used their MasterCard cards to apply for any Team or Venue Pool Packs, or individual tickets. The rest of the Rugby fans will get only one entry into the ballot for each ticket they applied for.

A special Rugby World Cup 2011 MasterCard Prepaid card has also been launched today to commemorate the event. The card program is launched in collaboration with ANZ Bank in New Zealand and will provide all Rugby fans with access to a range of privileges when visiting New Zealand for the World Cup.

Rugby fans can visit www.mastercard.co.nz/rwc2011 to find out more about the MasterCard privileges around Rugby World Cup 2011 and the RWC 2011 MasterCard ANZ Prepaid card.

“As Official Worldwide Partner and the official payment system for Rugby World Cup 2011, we are excited to be able to bring Rugby fans closer to the game they love,” said Eddie Grobler, executive vice president, Australasia, MasterCard Worldwide. “The semi-finals and the Final are highly coveted matches for any Rugby fan to attend and we know how much it will mean to MasterCard cardholders to get that extra edge to be there at the heart of all the live action.

“The RWC 2011 MasterCard ANZ Prepaid card is an easy, hassle-free way for all Kiwis to double their chances to be at the semi-finals and the Final, as well as enjoy all privileges and benefits that MasterCard will be offering for and at the Tournament,” he added.

Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 host cities during September and October. The semi-final and Final matches will take place in Auckland’s historic Eden Park on 15–16 October 2011 and 23 October 2011, respectively.

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 22 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard^®, Maestro^® and Cirrus^®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

MasterCard Worldwide is a Worldwide Partner and the official payment system of Rugby World Cup 2011. The company leverages the platform to further deliver shareholder value by creating exclusive business-building opportunities for its customer financial institutions, while building MasterCard brand affinity by offering priceless experiences to MasterCard cardholders. As part of its agreement, MasterCard secures a comprehensive rights and benefits package that allows the company to deliver value to customer financial institutions, merchants and cardholders, including the ability to access “Priceless” experiences linked to Rugby World Cup 2011. Rugby World Cup is the crown jewel of the sport and a prominent global property – with television coverage of Rugby World Cup 2007 spanning more than 200 territories, reaching a cumulative audience of 4.3 billion viewers. Rugby World Cup 2011 is being held in New Zealand for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 host cities between 9 September and 23 October 2011. Beyond its expertise in world-class sponsorship marketing, MasterCard also has a rich heritage of supporting the sport of Rugby in the host country. Over the past six years MasterCard has been a sponsor of the New Zealand All Blacks team.