Editorial: That's the way sponsorship works

Photo / Paul Estcourt

The decision that MasterCard cards will be the only form of electronic payment accepted at major Rugby World Cup venues may go against the grain for many New Zealanders. But it is idle to complain about a system that will not unduly penalise customers.

Fans who do not already have a MasterCard will have to buy (for between $5 and $10) and pre-load MasterCard's new "Tap and Go" cards - which need only be hovered above terminals and require no PIN numbers - or bring cash to buy food or drink at the larger World Cup grounds, such as Eden Park in Auckland and Wellington's Westpac Stadium. Conventional eftpos facilities will not be available.

The idea attracted howls of online protest. Respondents to a survey at nzherald.co.nz were 10 to 1 opposed, saying eftpos was universal and should be accepted.

The response seems rather unrealistic. MasterCard is one of the tournament's major sponsors and will have paid dearly for the privilege. The global reach of such sponsorship arrangements may be inferred from the fact that several of the big-name sponsors do not operate - and indeed are virtually unknown - in this country.

It is entirely understandable that these sponsors would want to recoup their investments by having exclusive-use and exclusive-visibility rights. As anyone at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa knows, it was impossible to buy a beer within hundreds of metres of stadiums that was not the tournament's official beer - never mind that it was American and thus virtually undrinkable.

Global sporting events are now underwritten by global brands and the almighty dollar rules. This is not exactly stop-press news. Those who advocate a return to the days when rugby matches were not telecast live, unless and until the ground had sold out, may have left their run a little late.

And it is not a major hardship to get $50 out of an ATM on the way to the ground if you want to have a hot dog or a beer while watching the All Blacks slay all-comers.