Footy fans told to leave their brollies at home

Nigel Reid, of Hamilton, settles in for a beer at Napier's Bay City Club on Saturday after being denied admission to the Ranfurly Shield match, because he had an umbrella. Photo / Doug Laing

A Hamilton man in Napier for Saturday's Ranfurly Shield match between Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty sat-out the match in a bar after being denied admission to the game because of his umbrella.

Nigel Reid took his umbrella with him as rain began falling when he began to walk from his motel to McLean Park, and had bought his $15 general admission embankment ticket. He was entering the ground through the Morris St gates when security staff intervened.

"They told me I wasn't allowed in with my umbrella. They said I could leave it at the gate, at my own risk, or take it back to my car," he said later in the afternoon.

"Well, I wasn't leaving it at the gate, and I didn't have a car, so they gave me my $15 back and I decided to go and watch it somewhere else."

He said he saw signs at the park reminding the fans what items were excluded, but it didn't say anything about umbrellas.

A member of the Waikato Commerce chartered club in Hamilton, he sought-out kindred fellows at the Bay City Club in Napier and watched the match at their Milton Rd bar.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union marketing manager Jay Campbell said numerous items are banned from the ground, a "throwback" to the security steps and crowd control of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but based on rules and conditions set by councils, stadiums and other authorities.

About 7000 went to the match, a crowd Mr Campbell believed was limited by the turn of the weather from a bright, sunny morning to squally and colder conditions early-afternoon.