Rugby World Cup: Prepare for shortages

Anthea Stembridge of DNA Solutions. Photo / Janna Dixon

Fancy sinking your teeth into a nice piece of rump steak? You may be out of luck during the Rugby World Cup.

Beef, lamb, good beer and fine wine, elegant glassware to serve it in, waiters to serve them up and promo girls to, well, promo things ... they are all expected to be in short supply when the world arrives on New Zealand's doorstep in six weeks' time.

Restaurants are being warned that they may struggle to source good fresh ingredients if they don't order well in advance; similarly, they could find themselves using mismatched plates and glassware.

Industry suppliers are warning the country to prepare for three months of the "New Year's Eve effect", where extreme demand makes last- minute orders impossible to fill.

The country's best chefs, service staff and even promotional models are heavily booked from next month.

Promotional sales and marketing agency DNA Solutions says it has been flooded with clients running activities during the Rugby World Cup.

Recent bouts of harsh weather and the timing of the tournament at the end of the killing season mean good cuts of meat will also be scarcer than usual.

Fine wine importer Puneet Dhall had similar concerns for the flow of liquor.

Visitors from the Northern Hemisphere would expect to be able to choose between quality international wines and quality local options, he said.

"The problems happen when people decide to put wines on the list without giving us any notice," Dhall said.