With demand hugely outstripping supply for Six Nations matches it's hardly a surprise that almost any Rugby World Cup ticket worth having has long since been snapped up.

Even at an eyewatering average price of £167 to watch Chris Robshaw's England during the group stages, tickets to watch the hosts – starting against Fiji at Twickenham tonight – could have been sold many times over.

Some people may not like this argument but, despite apparently being the most expensive sporting tournament in history, the price structure has been justified by the ticket sales.

It should help the atmosphere too – at that price there won't have sold many tickets to people without a real passion for the sport.

That people are prepared to pay many times over the odds on the black market shows the imagination this tournament has captured.

Having England, Australia and Wales in the same group may mean one giant will be eliminated prematurely but it has also raised the stakes from the very first match.

But there is one way in which this tournament has sold its soul like so many others: spot the difference and win World Cup tickets, or name the England captain, or buy a camera, or just tell an annoying story on breakfast radio.

Maybe be the sponsors think they sound generous by giving away the hottest tickets in town, but perhaps they should consider how much it grates with those who have tried (and possibly failed) to spend a small fortune to get to games.

That's not to decry the companies backing World Cup – campaigns like Wear the Rose (O2), the School of Rugby (Samsung) and the Never Alone film featuring Gareth Thomas (Guinness) enhance the spectacle.

But while sponsors getting tickets to throw around like confetti is nothing new – denying the real fans and putting them in the hands of randoms – it leaves a sour taste.