Rugby World Cup pub TV viewing bill gaining support

There is strong support for a proposal to allow pubs to open in the early hours during the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Act Party leader David Seymour is hopeful his proposal to allow pubs to open in the early hours during the Rugby World Cup will be adopted, though he says it might only be applied to games involving the All Blacks.

The MP for Epsom will table a hastily-drafted bill in Parliament this afternoon which would allow all pubs and bars to remain open during anti-social hours if they were broadcasting live from the tournament in Britain.

The bill will be shot down if any MP refuses to grant leave. Mr Seymour was confident it would progress, but he said getting cross-party support might require some concessions. He said National had been supportive of the proposal, but had asked whether the scope could be reduced so that it covered only New Zealand games.

Justice Minister Amy Adams would not comment yesterday, except to say the National caucus would consider the law change this morning.

United Future leader Peter Dunne also has some concerns about the scope of the bill.

Mr Seymour said he might agree to limit the policy, but he hoped it could be applied to all fans. "There's a quarter of a million British-born New Zealanders, 50,000 Australians, and big South African, Tongan and Samoan populations. So wouldn't it be nice to have all teams rather than just the one?"

Labour, New Zealand First and the Maori Party would also decide their positions this morning.

Labour leader Andrew Little supported the law change. "It's a Rugby World Cup, it only comes around every four years ... so the opportunity to meet in a bar and watch a game and have the odd pint is the perfectly normal thing to want to do. Personally, I think we should try to facilitate it."

Most of the World Cup games will fall outside the maximum default hours of 8am to 4am set by a 2012 law change, though bars can apply for special licences as long as they agree to strict conditions.

The Auckland Council has received 20 applications for special licences.

Front Row Hospitality director Mike Jennings - whose Parnell pub the Paddington had its special licensing hearing yesterday - said he would be "very pleased" if Parliament changed the law. "It makes sense. There's so many people wanting to see the games ... and we're leaving them disappointed," he said.

Mr Jenning said most of the licensing process was fair, but one of the conditions was a "very restrictive" requirement to sell tickets for every customer before the day of a match.

Early hours
• NZ v Argentina, 3.45am (NZ time), Sept 21.
• NZ v Namibia, 7am, Sept 25.
• NZ v Georgia, 8am, Oct 3.
• NZ v Tonga, 8am, Oct 10.
• Final, 5am, Nov 1.

The rules
Now: Maximum default hours of 8am-4am for on-licences.

Proposed: Bars broadcasting RWC can open for games, as well as an hour before and after, as long as they close for two hours during the day.