One of New Zealand's top hotels, the Westin has been stripped of its Qualmark licence as a bitter battle between unit owners and the receiver of the hotel's management company continues.

'Tis the off-season to be jolly. The national obsession has a wee rest before things get scary next year.

A proposed law change would allow security agents to spy on foreign communications with impunity during the Rugby World Cup.

Laws allowing spies to intercept text messages and snoop on computers will be pushed through before the 2011 RWC.

The latest news on each of the 20 Rugby World Cup nations.

Thousands of tickets to the Rugby World Cup are still available despite earlier warnings that seats would sell out.

A Christchurch hotel is charging $2400 a night for rooms during the World Cup quarter-finals - about 14 times the usual rate.

All Black coach Graham Henry yesterday promised few changes for the team to play Ireland this weekend.

Rugby World Cup patrons can expect to pay up to $17 for a glass of wine in restaurants near Eden Park, but industry heads say it's not a rip-off.

Tougher ground rules and liquor bills will do nothing to fix Kiwis' "pathetic" attitude toward Australia, writes John Roughan.

Only one man has been charged out of the hundreds responsible for last weekend's booze-fuelled mayhem at Eden Park.

Sporting legends have their doubts about the statue of Michael Jones commissioned for Eden Park.

A pro-cannabis group says an amnesty on pot smoking would help prevent crowd violence at the Rugby World Cup 2011.