Rugby-World Cup 2015 most successful rugby event ever, EY says

May 24 (Reuters) - The 2015 Rugby World Cup hosted by England generated 2.3 billion pounds ($3.36 billion) in economic output, making it the most successful event in the sport's history, according to a report by consulting firm EY. The 48-day event, which ended with New Zealand lifting the trophy in October, added 1.1 billion pounds to the UK's gross domestic product, the firm said. It also attracted 406,000 international visitors from 151 countries, who spent 958 million pounds in the UK. About 2.47 million tickets were sold in total. "The team at England Rugby 2015 and the RFU are proud of the tournament we organised and hosted, which will deliver valuable financial benefits not just for the game of rugby but for the wider national economy," Rugby Football Union Chief Executive Ian Ritchie said. The World Cup 2015 was also the most commercially successful rugby event held, courtesy of a 40 percent increase in broadcast and commercial deals. Those provided an anticipated surplus of 150 million pounds, breaking the previous record of 122 million pounds set in 2007, the report said. ($1 = 0.6850 pounds) (Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Larry King)