Ambulance back-ups called in to cover match

Extra St John staff from across the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Gisborne areas have been brought in to make sure there is sufficient medical cover at Rotorua International Stadium today.

There will be three ambulances and 21 staff at the stadium for the Samoa v Namibia match, which kicks off at 2.30pm. There will also be two golf carts at the stadium.

These include resuscitation kits, a defibrillator, stretchers, neck collars, splints, straps, and pain management drugs.

There is also a first aid caravan unit based at the stadium. This has been set up for people suffering from minor injuries and other medical problems and has been set up to reduce the demand on the Rotorua Hospital emergency department.

District Operations manager Norm Riedinger said they expected some minor injuries.

"Overall Rotorua stadium should have a great crowd and it should be a good match," he said.

"We want people to have a good time and to make it an enjoyable event to remember."

He said St John was prepared for a wide range of potential injuries and emergencies and had brought in extra staff to make sure Rotorua was well-covered during the match.

Mr Riedinger advised spectators to moderate the amount of alcohol consumed and to drink plenty of water.