Ask Phoebe: Eden Park bottle rules need clarity

Photo / Doug Sherring

I was quite surprised to see your column in the paper a week or so ago saying that only sealed drink bottles smaller than one litre were allowed into the rugby games at Eden Park.

This contradicts what both the security staff were saying at Eden Park (based on the opening game I went to) and the RWC website list of prohibited items.

The security staff were accepting empty drink bottles, and indeed encouraging people to tip out their drinks at the gates so they could take their empty bottles into the game.

The RWC website says that all drink bottles are prohibited (which I assumed meant full, empty, closed or open).

Can you clarify the "official" view out of all this conflicting information?

Joanne Harland, Auckland.

The Eden Park site states, under the conditions of entry, that prohibited items include open drink containers and sealed drinking containers larger than one litre.

It also prohibits the bringing of cans, glass bottles, thermos flasks and any breakable containers.

The Rugby World Cup 2011 website prohibits the bringing in of bottles, glass, cans, thermos flasks, any breakable containers, and drink bottles (whether unopened/sealed or not).

Perhaps Eden Park and RWC staff need to decide on guidelines, and then tell us and the security people what they are.

We are Irish supporters who bought tickets in advance for quarter-final 3 which is on Sunday, in the expectation of Ireland qualifying as runners-up in their pool.

However, as they topped Pool C their quarter-final will be on Saturday.

What is the best way to contact people who wish to swap quarter-final tickets? I assume that there will be many Australian fans with tickets for the Saturday quarter-final who are in a similar situation. Is there an official site or facility for doing this?

Andrew Slaney, Auckland.

You could try the swap-shop page on www.gumtree.co.nz, and some tickets are being swapped on Facebook.

The terms and conditions of RWC ticket purchase and use are very stringent, and preclude the transfer of tickets from one person to another unless the person is known to you, no monetary gain is made, and all other terms and conditions are met.

You can find a full list at: tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/pdf/RWC2011TicketConditions.pdf