KEY POINTS:
Perhaps they need to put down the glass and put on a bit more class. That's the friendly advice to the dateless young men of Hamilton.
Census figures show single men aged 25-34 far outnumber females of the same demographic in the suburbs surrounding Waikato University.
University gym
instructor Julie Shaw said the blokes in the area only needed to take a good look in the mirror to discover why they were not getting hooked up.
"They are just a bunch of rugby heads, drinking and being stupid, they have a whole different mannerism."
Sport and leisure student Adam Rangitaawa, 28, was not worried about the accusation.
Being single was a choice, he said. He was happy, not fearful, about his single status.
"Sometimes when I've drunk too much and I wake up in the morning I might get a little bit scared," he admitted.
Demographer Bernard Salt said he had analysed 1900 suburbs and towns throughout New Zealand and the ratio of men to women in Hamilton was top news for females.
Competition for their affections was rife among men.
Conversely, women outnumbered men by 50 per cent in Whakatane.
Adam's ears prick at the mention of Whakatane being the area of the highest concentration of young, single women.
"It's a little bit far away, but it's a nice place Whakatane," he smirks.
Steve Cooper, 30, said he was single because he had recently returned from overseas and was only just settling back in to the New Zealand lifestyle.
While he had not noticed a lack of women in the neighbourhood, he suggested several reasons why men might be finding themselves alone.
"Maybe the women are moving away because there's just too many farmers and boy racers here. I was at a stag-do on Saturday night and there were a lot of very unattractive men there."
Down the road in Hamilton East, single barmaid Amanda Wisnewski said all the decent men had been snapped up.
"The only ones with any confidence already have girlfriends."
Her comments were supported by Jennifer Hubbard. Many men in the area had lost the art of courting. Politeness and good manners were attributes that seemed to be lacking, she said.
Upskilling men in social graces and conversation could be a market of untapped potential, she added.
Mr Salt admitted the limitations of his research. "Quality in Hamilton is their (females) issue, I'm about quantity."
When local resident Shane Peeni heard that Clendon, along with nearby Wiri, topped the Auckland list as having the highest concentration of single, young women, a huge smile spread across his face.
"That's music to a male's ears," the 28-year-old, single, father-of-one said yesterday.
"It must be pretty true. Most women are single or a lot of their men are in jail. I meet a lot of single, young mums, who are definitely available ... it's the hidden secret of Clendon. It's good to be a guy here."
And what are Clendon women like?
"They look after their appearance. Their dress sense isn't too up-to-date, but they do the best as they can afford."
Over on the North Shore, Murrays Bay topped the list as having the highest concentration of single males in Auckland.
Single guy Jeremy Robertshaw, 21, said: "I've got no idea why there are so many single guys here. It's not something I've thought about."
But a high concentration of single men could result in more competition for women.
"It's a bit of a worry."
Joanna Vandeven, 23-years-old and single, said she hadn't noticed an over-supply of single men in the area.
"AUT and Massey University are fairly close by ... so maybe they are all still living with mum and dad"?
Single women keeping to themselves
Lorien Hickson is 28, unattached and lives in Whakatane.
"I'm not noticing a huge abundance of single women," said the 28-year-old, who owns a local cycle shop.
"When you're in bars and that sort of thing, most girls seem to have boyfriends hanging around them. I don't know where the single ones are hiding. Maybe I'm not going to the right bars."
Mr Hickson has been single for five months after coming out of a serious relationship. He regularly goes out at weekends and is starting to think the single women just stay at home.
"Maybe that's why they're single."
His good friend Deanna Mckeown, 27, said she had been single for "far too long".
"It's horrible. I am looking, you know, but the only single men around here seem to be 40-odd. Or they're all young and think they're God's gift to women."
But she wasn't lamenting the lack of single men, rather the poor quality of the field.
"It's hard trying to find someone who can put up with my sense of humour."
However, Jackie, 26, who works at the Red Rock bar and restaurant, said the lack of men was noticeable.
"They've gone. They leave the area, and women tend to stick around. I've got quite a few single mates who lament the lack of single blokes around."
Not that she was worried. She's found her Prince Charming and is getting married in two weeks.
