Minister to introduce bill to amend Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act for RWC 2019

“This will allow eligible licensed premises to open during the 2019 Rugby World Cup for the purpose of televising live games that fall outside of their usual trading hours,” Andrew Little says.

The Minister of Justice will introduce a bill to amend the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow licensed premises to remain open for Rugby World Cup matches.

"This will allow eligible licensed premises to open during the 2019 Rugby World Cup for the purpose of televising live games that fall outside of their usual trading hours," Andrew Little says.

"It's pretty clear some clubs are having difficulty persuading their district licensing committees to grant a special license to extend their hours for this obviously special event, and so it makes sense for Parliament to allow clubs to meet a community desire.

"I recognize that many premises will not need to rely on these amendments. The timing of the matches in Japan and the existing licensing framework means many premises will already be covered.

"However, there are some premises, such as clubs in rural areas, who tend to have earlier closing times and we want to make sure that these communities have the opportunity to enjoy the games.

"I would like to acknowledge and thank David Seymour for his work in drafting a bill on this issue," says Andrew Little.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)