Uni sports teams turned away from motels

University sports teams have struggled to find accommodation in New Plymouth ahead of this year's University Games, following drunken student antics at last year's games in Rotorua.

More than 130 Victoria University students were evicted from two Rotorua motels last April for what one motel owner described as "diabolical" behaviour.

Havana Motor Lodge evicted 44 students and Cleveland Motel evicted 88, with motel owners saying rooms were littered with vomit, alcohol and glass.

Victoria University and Massey University's Palmerston North campus struggled to book accommodation for next week's games, with both teams saying motels were refusing to take students.

Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) was unable to find accommodation in New Plymouth, so most of the competitors will stay in a marae and a motel at Hawera, 77km southeast of New Plymouth.

VUWSA president Jasmine Freemantle said it had been very difficult for the students' association to secure accommodation "in light of the way we were represented surrounding last year's University Games".

She said Victoria had developed a participation agreement which outlined a code of conduct for students at the games.

"As far as the VUWSA team last year, there were only one or two students who did have a little bit too much to drink and did play up and it had negative consequences for the entire team."

Massey University Students' Association president Matthew Poucher also said all students were being blamed for the actions of a few.

It had been impossible for the students' association to arrange accommodation, so students were having to arrange their own - but they were still running into difficulty.

Taranaki Motel Association president Deborah Tawa told NZPA that a number of moteliers had met to discuss hosting the students, but the group had not resolved to refuse them accommodation.

Some moteliers were refusing to host the students as their motels were their livelihood, and they had to be able to ensure the rooms could be re-let after the students stayed, she said.

Clyde Farquhar, owner of Rotorua's Cleveland Motel, said he had contacted a number of New Plymouth motel owners to tell them about the students' behaviour the previous year, and to encourage them to refuse the students accommodation.

VUWSA took the Cleveland Motel to the Disputes Tribunal earlier this year after being billed $6724 for cleaning and a final night's bookings following the eviction last year.

In February, the motel was ordered to refund $4114 to the students' association.

Mr Farquhar said he may appeal the decision, putting it down to a technicality and VUWSA's use of lawyers.

He said students were "scum of the earth" and was worried about the future of the country with them in charge.

University Sport New Zealand executive director Louise Burns said the difficulty booking accommodation was a result of the two universities not making bookings early enough, as Easter time meant many moteliers were fully booked.

New Plymouth was last year voted one of the best places in the world to live by judges at the United Nations-endorsed International Awards for Liveable Communities.

- NZPA