Government backs rugby homestays

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The Government will link foreign rugby fans with Kiwis willing to open their homes for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Casual visitors, expected to number about 35,000, will be left to scrap over remaining accommodation during the tournament because half of all visitors will arrive on official packages or as VIPs.

"We will be working with the Government and the IRB to ensure that there is a mechanism in place so that free independent travellers can find out where they can secure their accommodation," Rugby NZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said yesterday.

Homestays would be part of the mix on offer.

"The idea of home hosting is something that has huge appeal," Mr Snedden said.

Organisers had carried out an unprecedented survey of accommodation and generated a "bank" of bed nights.

Every New Zealand hotel with more than a three-star rating had been approached to add nights to the bank. About 300 hotels had signed up to guarantee an average of 60 per cent of their bed inventory at set rates.

Accommodation nights in the bank could only be allocated to corporate and official package holders, however.

That meant an estimated 35,000 casual visitors would be left to find rooms from whatever accommodation remained.

It was up to the Government to try to make the best possible arrangements for them, Mr Snedden said. "This is a major focus for Government. This is one of the major reasons they are investing in the Rugby World Cup, to drive the free independent travel market," he said.

Plans were under way to make a "linking mechanism" bringing together all of the accommodation options under one banner.

While there were enough commercial accommodation nights already available, private homestays would appeal to some visitors and would be included. "It's just one of the features of what will occur.

"The whole rationale for private homes is not an accommodation shortage, it's event experience."

The Rotary Club is already offering fellow Rotarians from overseas places in homes.

The cost per night for a couple to be hosted by Rotarians will be $50 (going to the host family) plus a donation of $100 going towards Rotary's charity fund to fight polio.

Another group, 80 Minute Game Ltd, is taking expressions of interest from home owners ready to welcome visiting rugby fans.

"I have no doubt that those sorts of initiatives will crop up between now and the start of the tournament," Mr Snedden said.

Spokesmen for Wellington's InterContinental, James Cook and Duxton Hotels declined to comment last night on their World Cup booking policies.

But owners of Wellington motel complexes said they were wary of accepting block bookings for the tournament from people professing to represent international rugby unions and booking agencies.

Victoria Court Motor Lodge owner Chris Gray was not interested in doing deals with people wanting to book now and on-sell his rooms at inflated rates. "We're a little bit wary about doing any deals at the moment."

A spokeswoman for Apollo Lodge in Wellington said: "We have been approached by shonky operators wanting to block-book rooms and make money out of us.

"We're not going there. We're hanging on to our units."