Tonight rugby union’s World Cup kicks off in London. Organisers hope that six weeks of tries and tackles will help the tournament overcome some pre-match gripes. Fans’ biggest complaint has been eye-watering ticket costs: plenty exceed £100 ($155). Pints and pies will be pricey too. Consequently, seats remain available for 24 of the 48 matches, including games featuring New Zealand, the favourites, England and Australia. England’s Rugby Football Union denies avarice. It has had to pay the global governing body, World Rugby, £80m to be the host. Still, the RFU is likely to make a profit of around £15m. The cheapest place to watch will undoubtedly be your sofa: worldwide, 772m households will be able to see the action—including, for the first time, fans in such rugby backwaters as Germany and China. Who will lift the Webb Ellis Cup on October 31st? Espresso predicts a third title for New Zealand.