Snedden comes to the party

Frustrated Rugby World Cup 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden has been forced to clarify comments made last week attacking party central naysayers and denying contractual obligations to the IRB.

Snedden was asked by TVNZ programme Media 7 last week about the controversial party central on Auckland's Queens Wharf and whether the RWC 2011 agreement with the IRB included a contract to provide such a venue. His reply: "The answer is absolutely no. We were not obligated to provide a party central."

However, he provided a written statement to the Sunday Star-Times yesterday headed "clarify my Media 7 comments".

"Auckland has a contractual obligation to Rugby New Zealand 2011 to provide a fan zone in a waterfront CBD location, the location of which, as a result of the recent agreement between Government and the ARC [Auckland Regional Council], will be on Queens Wharf, something which we fully support and are delighted about."

Snedden, who has been hamstrung by the bickering between the council and government, also backed off another statement from the television show in which he was quoted as saying: "This party central thing is a load of rubbish. It's being promoted as an almighty piss-up and that is not our intention. It's been a bit frustrating watching the debate, to be honest.

"The fan zones will have all sorts of other activities besides drinking and they will basically be places for big screens and fans to gather. The percentage of space for alcohol will be about 20%."

Yesterday, Snedden said his comments reflected "some frustration that I have felt that much of the public debate seemed to me to have been primarily focused on the use of this site as a drinking venue rather than recognising the potential that the site has as public space for a variety of activities".

He also said on Media 7 that the terminology "party central" was terrible.

"They are areas for the public to gather. We don't even know yet how Queens Wharf will develop - the decision's only just been made and, frankly, I feel for poor Auckland because they have had no idea how to develop a plan yet."

However, Snedden said yesterday that now the decision had been made where to host the Auckland "fan zone", people would soon be able to see the "potential of this site realised".

- © Fairfax NZ News