Mayor to talk to residents after Eden Park league chaos

File photo / Richard Robinson

The new mayor of Auckland has stepped into the debate over the alcohol-induced ugliness which marred the Four Nations rugby league match at Eden Park over the weekend.

Mayor Len Brown said he would talk to residents, police and officials about drunken fans, fights and unruly behaviour at Eden Park on Saturday.

Two games were played in the Four Nations tournament and the event was seen as a test of the upgraded Eden park and traffic management before the rugby World Cup next year.

Mr Brown said while the transport plan appeared to have worked well, there were questions around the enforcement of the liquor ban in the area surrounding Eden Park.

"It is important to get the organisation around major events as good as it can be so we minimise any negative impacts and make the event as enjoyable as possible for those attending," he said.

He said the city must learn from the weekend so residents, spectators, visitors and participants all enjoyed "the spectacle that rugby World Cup 2011 will be."

He said the eyes of the world would be on Auckland in 10 months, and "we all want to show the city at its best".

Auckland Transport had rated Saturday's event "nine out of 10" for safe, efficient traffic and spectator flows.

Prime Minister John Key said unruly crowd behaviour would lead to a review of security arrangements at Eden Park and a likely tightening of the rules before the rugby World Cup.

Police arrested six people from the crowd of 44,500 after alcohol fueled fighting began in the stadium and continued outside after the second game, the test match between New Zealand and Australia.

Hundreds of plastic bottles were thrown on the pitch.

Residents flooded police with calls about unruly and drunken fans.

Superintendent Brett England said the crowd behaviour was disappointing but police were confident it would not be repeated at rugby World Cup games or any other rugby games at Eden Park.

- NZPA