The Kiwi Opinion

Global expectations are high for Rugby World Cup 2011

2010-01-26T09:52:00.001+13:00

Having spent the last few months in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, one theme stood out once I had introduced myself as a New Zealander. Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC11). There is a real expectation out there that New Zealand, the home of modern rugby, will put on the best cup yet and I wasn’t too sure how to respond to it. Should I focus on the positives of our country? The scenery, the friendly people, our culture, the small towns. Or, heaven forbid, talk about the game? The small crowds, the complicated rules, the distinct lack of flair exhibited in matches that actually matter and so on. Well I tried to be upbeat but I could sense a certain amount of doubt in my audience, perhaps they were simply mirroring my own shaky convictions.

Now I’m not suggesting for a moment that we don’t care about our national game or have anything but high hopes for the tournament, outside of the obvious desire for victory of course. I do however worry that in our current position New Zealand has neither the individual resources nor the drive to really pull this one off. 2008 was a far cry from 1987, when the mere live televising of an international amateur sports tournament was a huge event in its own right, and expectations for 2011 are very, very high.

The government appears wholly committed to investment in RWC11. The ball started rolling with a confident bid for the rights and since then they’ve maintained the momentum alongside the New Zealand Rugby Union with upgrades of a number of parks and facilities including Eden Park. 23 separate towns and cities around the country will be hosting games over the five weeks, a decision that’s caused a lot of excitement in our smaller communities. Hopefully its inspired a few rugby fans in the city centres as well.

Lets look at my own union however. A population of 380000, one of the newest stadiums in the country, and thanks to the large population of South African New Zealanders, hosting a marquee side for the pool round. North Harbour RFU serves to illustrate RWC11’s proverbial ‘elephant in the room’, which is the question of just how many New Zealander’s are actually going to buy tickets to the matches? We don’t go and watch our own sides play rugby anymore and you can name your reason why. People don’t like night games, the tickets are too expensive, I’ve already paid for sky, its not a very attractive game anymore and the list goes on.

Expand this scenario out of my union, infamous in my eyes for having a supporter base that failed to galvanise even after The Shield had been won from Canterbury and held for the first time. With the notable exception of Wellington, weather dependant, the larger unions and the Super14 franchises have failed to get the expected numbers at games, with big matches that would have sold out in yesteryear struggling to get a decent crowd. All this doesn’t lend itself to the likelihood that New Zealand, an apathetic nation at the best of times, is going to be able to repeat, lest alone better, the pubic attendance that helped make Australia in 2003 such a popular success.

As far as our fellow rugby fans in Europe and Australia are concerned it’s the status quo. The All Blacks continue to dominate, our domestic game is the envy of the rugby world and our players are dominating in the overseas competitions. We need to keep it this way. We have a responsibility as New Zealanders to play our part in making sure RWC11 is a success. As I’ve alluded to, rugby isn’t in the best of shape, and as competition increases for the almighty dollar our sport needs to maintain its status as a credible and entertaining global spectator sport.

Here’s the plan. Firstly we need to develop and maintain some spectator momentum, which means getting out from behind the TV and getting to some games this season. Lets watch our players developing, start engaging with our clubs and unions about what we expect them to do to support the NZRU in delivering RWC11, and how we can help. We can’t take it for granted that tens of thousands of tourists will come to this country, spend lots of money, go to all the games and make it a success, those fans will only come here if they know it will be worth their while.

Any regional affiliations or club associations haven’t been announced yet but they will be. When they are, be prepared to get involved. The players, the WAGs, family, support staff and supporters will need to feel welcome not only for the teams to play at their best but also to communicate positive messages back to the rest of the world. Whilst it will ultimately be up to the councils and unions to formulate these plans there will be a lot that we can do, so start letting your local representatives know what your expectations for your World Cup are.

All of that aside however, while the quality of the game is very important the success of RWC11 will be decided by the level of support for the games in New Zealand. How many bums fill how many seats will be the make or break of our World Cup. Without sounding too dramatic, we are the home of modern rugby, and if this sport doesn’t come right in our country, where it counts, then it’s on a downhill slope.

Global expectations are high for RWC11. The games had its ups and downs over the last few years, no countries more so than ours but it has a great heritage. New Zealand’s politicians have committed to ensuring its a success and its time the people did their bit. Commit some time, effort, and dare I say it some money to this important activity, and make sure that the rugby fans from around the world realise that we are proud to be the home of modern rugby.

Heli-hunting: A shame on New Zealand’s wilderness

2010-01-16T13:57:00.001+13:00

Two major topics are currently galvanising the New Zealand hunting community, and whilst the use of 1080 poison is the more public, it is the legitimisation by stealth of ‘heli-hunting’ that demonstrates the Department of Conservation's (DOC) real contempt for the users of the public estate. Heli-hunting is a recently coined phrase for the practise of hunting by helicopter; the locating, including in some instances the pursuit or herding of the animal, hunter placement and recovery of a game animal.

For decades helicopters have been used to access DOC managed land for many recreational purposes such as hunting, rafting and hiking. Regulations restrict helicopter access to designated sites only, both to limit the impact on the environment and other users, and for safety. Landing people in designated wilderness areas is expressly forbidden in order to maintain the purity of the experience for those within these untouched landscapes. The notable exception to these regulations is Wild Animal Recovery Operations (WARO), the commercial recovery of deer (primarily), from DOC administered land, where operators with a concession may land as authorised within their permit to recover animals. Whilst individual hunters may grumble about WARO activities, within the hunting community as a whole it is accepted that WARO is a necessary part of population control and a sustainable commercial practise.

To the great surprise of the hunting community, when DOC were advised that a number of operators were exploiting a poorly worded clause in their WARO permits in order to heli-hunt, the department allowed the operators to continue the unlawful practise. Considering the legal might being applied by the commercial operators it is not surprising that this stance was adopted by DOC. It is however the following illogical steps taken by the department that pose a real threat to not only New Zealander’s enjoyment of these public lands but our global reputation as an environmentally aware nation as well.

Rather than modify the WARO concessions when they came up for renewal, DOC has instead decided to accept applications to heli-hunt on public land. When the Ass. Min. of Conservation stated that ‘applications have taken longer to process than was originally expected, because of the need to consider the effects on [other users] and the environment’ the departments original intent becomes clearer: DOC did not intend open consultation on the issue of heli-hunting.

In the past New Zealand hunters have provided evidence to both DOC and the Civil Aviation Authority of helicopter operators conducting unlawful trophy hunting from helicopters on public land. Having repeatedly denied the activity was even taking place, DOC’s hand was forced when the coroner's inquiry into the death of an American hunter during a helicopter accident led to an admission by the operator of heli-hunting activities. While DOC’s approach is surprising given their knowledge of public feeling towards heli-hunting, it is the subsequent actions by the Canterbury Conservancy that cast significant doubts on the motivation behind it’s legitimisation.

So far the department’s primary justification for authorising heli-hunting appears to be their recent admission that the activity was already occurring on public land, despite being ‘outside of the scope of the WARO permit’. The operators who wish to continue to heli-hunt provide evidence that there is an international demand, citing benefits to tourism and the economy, however this service is already available and has been provided to tourists for many years on private hunting blocks. The recent letter to Safari Club International by the Canterbury Conservancy indicates not only DOC’s desire to fund raise through the selling of individual trophy concessions to foreign hunters but also the Conservancy’s views on the likely outcome of the current consultation process ‘you should factor into your pricing for the 2011 season tahr and chamois hunts on public conservation land…a trophy fee of around $500 per animal’.

Heli-hunting will be a blight on the environmentally conscious image of our country, both within and globally. New Zealand will be the only developed country in which this form of hunting is accepted and the major international hunting bodies do not approve heli-hunting as practised in New Zealand as fair chase. The approval of heli-hunting on public land will expose both the natural environment and its users; the trampers, the fishermen, the kayakers and rafters, and the tourists, to repeated over-flight and landing of helicopters, having a significant impact upon the wilderness experience. Our unique public hunting resource will be severely impacted upon as the trophy animals are swiftly and selectively taken from public land by helicopter operators for a quick dollar, removing any incentive for New Zealand hunters to venture into the outdoors.

There is also no conservation benefit in the practise of heli-hunting. Trophy hunting removes only mature male animals, resulting in no appreciable impact upon population numbers. DOC do acknowledge that foot hunters play their part in wild animal control as a significant number of female animals are taken for food, and in the case of populations of Tahr in the Southern Alps, hunters recognise the importance of conservation and actively manage the populations while trophy hunting.

Sadly many American hunters are advised when shopping for safaris that heli-hunting is the normal practise in our country, and return to the US disillusioned regarding our concepts of morality and fair chase. These tourists are not given the opportunity to experience our wilderness from anywhere but the back seat of a helicopter and hardly make the best advocates for tourism in New Zealand.

The management of our public land continues to be a banner for the sustainable use of an ecological resource alongside man’s use of the environment for recreation, residence and income; through uses such as agriculture, power generation, mineral exploitation and of course tourism. There is little doubt that the legitimisation of heli-hunting in New Zealand will be a serious blow to this reputation, as the government department charged with the protection of our land for all New Zealander’s sell out for the financial benefit of so few. Any perceived benefits to conservation or the people of New Zealand are misguided in the extreme. New Zealander’s themselves do not heli-hunt, and the opening of our public hunting resource to this exploitation is a return to the elitism inherent throughout this sport in so many countries less fortunate than our own.