BOP change tune over vuvuzelas

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union (BOPRU) has bowed to public pressure and banned the use of vuvuzelas at home games this season.

The union introduced the noisy plastic trumpets at a pre-season match against Taranaki in Whakatane last month but the opening national provincial championship home match at Baypark in Tauranga against Auckland on Saturday will be a vuvuzela-free zone.

BOPRU chief executive Jeremy Curragh said the union had sold about 100 of the 1000 it ordered in January but was now offering refunds and had taken the rest off the shelf.

"When we first ordered them, we never dreamed they'd cause as much controversy as they did at the football World Cup, and we've listened to the public feedback since we started selling them here," Curragh told the Bay of Plenty Times newspaper.

"It's just commonsense for us to stop selling them. We want our home games to be an enjoyable experience for all our supporters and certainly don't want anyone coming away annoyed."

- NZPA