Temporary changes to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 (the Act) for the men's Rugby World Cup 2023 allow eligible on-licence and club-licence holders to extend their trading hours to televise live games from the tournament in France without the need to apply for special licences.

The amendments can be found in sections 45A-45H and schedule 4 of the Act. The approach is like that taken for the last two Rugby World Cup tournaments, with some improvements. The below provides information on eligibility for extended trading hours and your responsibilities as a licensee when using them.

Please note: If you hold a Club Licence and you want non-club members to attend then a Special Licence application will likely be required. Special Licence applications must be submitted a minimum of 20 working days prior to the event. Late applications will not be accepted.

Who can extend their hours?

You can extend your trading hours if:

• you hold a current club licence or an on-licence
• your main reason for extending your trading hours is to host customers to watch live games from the Rugby World Cup 2023
• your licence has not been varied or suspended under section 280 of the Act in the past year, and
• your licence has not been suspended or cancelled immediately before or during the Rugby World Cup 2023.

What must licensees do to extend their trading hours?

You must notify Council and the nearest Police station of the games you intend to be open for.

This notification must be in writing (either by post or email) and must be received by both parties at least seven calendar days before the games you intend to extend your trading hours for.

We encourage you to make notifications as early as possible to give Police and others plenty of time to plan. The notification can list multiple games. It also needs to outline the steps you will take to keep noise levels down.

Display notice

As soon as possible (after notifying Council and Police) you must display information about how your premises will use extended licensing hours, including details of how noise will be managed. You will display this notice the same way as you normally display your alcohol licence. You must keep this information updated throughout the tournament.

Cancellation of notification

If you change your mind about opening for a game you have notified for, you must provide a cancellation of notification to Council and your nearest Police station as soon as possible.

Templates and guidance

It's important you fill in the relevant templates and provide all the information required. This will ensure that you meet your responsibilities under the Act, help minimise neighbourhood inconvenience and disruption, and help Police to do their job.

A schedule of the games, templates, and guidance for notifications, cancellation of notifications, and display notices can be found at in the related links section below.

In addition to the normal noise management conditions in your licence, you will be required to take extra measures to reduce noise, appropriate to your location and game times.

These include ensuring customers and staff do not:

• use the premises’ open areas at all, even those normally used for smoking, or
• use audio equipment such as loudspeakers in open areas, or
• dispose of empty bottles or other rubbish or leave them for collection in open areas.

'Open area' is defined by the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s2(1) as a part of a premises that is not an internal area.

Concerns about noise will be reported to the territorial authority and Police, and it will be for their enforcement staff to determine the appropriate response.

When can premises open and sell alcohol for after-hours games?

If a game starts during your usual permitted trading hours, you can remain open for the whole match.

If the first game starts less than two hours after your usual closing time, you do not have to close leading up to the game.

Your premises can otherwise open and sell alcohol from one hour before a game starts.

If a game starts more than two hours after the end of your premises’ usual permitted trading hours, you must close at the usual time, then reopen one hour before the start of the game.

When must premises stop selling alcohol and close?

Premises must stop serving alcohol 30 minutes after the game ends (if this time is outside of your usual permitted trading hours and does not overlap with the lead-up time you are allowed to be open for a subsequent game).

If you hold an on-licence, you must ensure all patrons have left and the premises is closed one hour after the game ends (if this time is outside of your usual permitted trading hours and it does not overlap with the time you are allowed to be open for a subsequent game).

If you hold a club licence, you may remain open after the game ends, but you will not be able to sell alcohol until the usual permitted trading hours (or the time you are allowed to sell alcohol for a subsequent game).

How are premises affected by consecutive games?

If there are more than two hours between the games you have notified for, you need to follow the rules outlined above in the section. Premises are required to close one hour after a game ends, such as bars and taverns, can reopen one hour before the next game starts.

If there are less than two hours between games, you can stay open but need to follow the rules for selling alcohol outlined in the section ‘When must premises stop selling alcohol and close?’.

One-way door policies

One-way door policies do not apply one hour before, during, or one hour after the extended trading hours.

Conditions on the extended trading hours

During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the amendments to the Act will override certain conditions related to restrictions on trading hours and one-way door policies.

However, you must comply with all other conditions that apply to your usual permitted trading hours such as any restrictions on types of drinks sold, or who the premises can sell and supply alcohol to.

Offences in the Act not overridden by the amendments still apply during extended trading hours (eg it remains an offence to serve intoxicated people).

Not displaying information about the extended trading hours alongside your other licensing information is also an offence under section 259 of the Act and punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.

Related links

• Factsheet for licensees - (PDF, 163 KB)
• Guidance for licensees notification cancellation of notification display notice - (PDF, 226 KB)
• Notification template Rugby World Cup 2023 - (DOCX, 73 KB)
• Display Notice Template 2023 - (DOCX, 33 KB)
• Rugby World Cup 2023 game details - (PDF 52 KB)
• RWC 2023 Flowchart - (PDF, 77 KB)

Key contacts

If you have any questions please email liquorlicensing@whakatane.govt.nz or ahro.ebop@police.govt.nz