Sports clubs fear they won't be able to serve liquor to their patrons during the Rugby World Cup unless the Government passes a new law in the next few weeks. Photo / Getty Images
Sports clubs fear they won't be able to serve liquor to their patrons during the Rugby World Cup unless the Government passes a new law in the next few weeks. Photo / Getty Images
Sports clubs and RSAs around the country fear they will be unable to serve booze and host people for Rugby World Cup games - and are asking the Government to intervene.
It's a case of déjà vu for Act leader David Seymour, who led the charge on legislationin 2015 that allowed clubs and bars to stay open and serve drinks during the RWC 2015 matches.
Sports Minister Grant Robertson said he would look into the issue, though he did not say whether it would be on Cabinet's agenda on Monday.
Local authorities can grant special licences to bars and clubs through district licensing committees, but two clubs - Titirangi RSA and Wahi Beach RSA - have already had their applications declined.
That prompted Clubs NZ operations manager Lucy Waterreus to contact Seymour to enlist his help.
Waterreus told the Weekend Herald the two applications could be the first drops in a downpour.
"About 50 per cent of our clubs - just over 150 - their licences don't go long enough for them to show all the RWC games. It is a potential issue for 150 of them."
Sports Minister Grant Robertson says he will look into the issue. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Waihi Beach RSA manager Bob Firth said the club's licence allowed it to host games for members, but it needed a special licence to host visitors.
"We're a beach resort, population 3000, swelling to 30,000 over summer. We get a lot of visitors and they want to watch the rugby.
"People at the beach don't have SKY. They can't get the rugby at their beach house so they all come to the RSA."
He said the club was told it had to run an event to get a special licence.
"I have to sell tickets, have a guest speaker, have food and decorations, stuff like that. We have to promote it as an event, not just let people come down and watch TV."
He still planned to try and host the RWC games.
"We'll do some prizes and put some streamers up, and sell tickets at 50c for members and $1 for non-members.
Waterreus said clubs could pretend to host a guest speaker but they would rather not be disingenuous.
Many rural clubs were the "place to go" for their communities and wanted to host games, she said.
"It's the social aspect, and we have a real issue with alcohol. Would it not be better to have an environment where there is host responsibility practices in place?"
The latest quarter-finals at the RWC this year start at 11.15pm NZT, the latest semifinal at 10pm NZT, and the final and bronze playoff are at 10pm NZT.
Act leader David Seymour led a law change in 2015 for bars to stay open during the 2015 RWC and will do so again for the 2019 event, if necessary. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Seymour conceded most bars would be able to stay open under their existing licences, but that was not certain.
"You could make the argument to just go to the pub ... but pubs may be doing last call or ushering us out the door as the final whistle approaches."
He said the Government should introduce a bill to make it clear that clubs and bars could stay open during game-time.
"The district licensing committees are being absurd. That's why we changed the law in 2015. It was basically Parliament saying, 'Stop being dicks'."
He said a law would need to be passed this month to be in place in time for the first kick-off on September 20.
The 2015 bill imposed conditions including no outdoor speakers, no discarding of empty bottles, and no use of outdoor courtyard areas.
Premises that had had their licences varied or suspended in the previous 12 months were also not eligible to extend their hours to show Rugby World Cup games.
The bill passed by 99 votes to 21.
Grant Robertson, an Opposition MP at the time, voted for the bill, saying at the time that it was about a sense of community, not about people going on "benders".
