NZ Police kick Rugby World Cup for touch
Superintendent Grant O’Fee left his position as the Tasman District Commander at the end of 2008, and began the exciting role of planning for one of the largest sporting tournaments in the world. Effective policing of the tournament was vital to ensuring the safety of the public, and how the New Zealand Police were viewed on an international stage. It was imperative that Police understood how games and large scale events had been planned overseas so they could recognise what potential issues could arise, and what resources were needed.
A key action Police took was to look critically at how they had policed games in New Zealand in the past. After considering what experienced officers had told him, O’Fee believed the old behaviour of “standing still and watching games” needed to change for the tournament, with clear tasks for Police set at every game. These tasks included manning alcohol stands, circulating the stadium, liaising with security and making themselves more visible, without being intimidating.
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) team spent time with officers that had policed large rugby games to gain an understanding of how fans behaved and what methods of policing worked well in that environment. “We have a wealth of experience in this country when it comes to the policing of sports matches and understanding how fans operate. We really picked the brains of experienced officers around the country to gain an understanding of what we would be dealing with,” Mr O’Fee said.
Experience from abroad
With around 85,000 fans entering the country, the team also looked to international Police experience with large-scale sporting tournaments, sending officers to Canada, South Africa and London to talk to organisers of the Winter Olympics, the G8 Summit, the FIFA World Cup, and the London Olympics. O’Fee spoke to Police News about the diverse demographics of people who attended the games, and how this affected policing. Many families attended, often with young children. “We were dealing with a very different fan base than a Bledislode Cup or Tri-Nations game. It was vital that Police presence was high and that they were engaging with the crowds in a friendly manner,” Mr O’Fee said.
A joint effort
Many units in Police contributed to the planning and implementation of the RWC. One of these was an Investigation Unit set up in Auckland by Superintendent Andy Lovelock of the CIB. O’Fee described the unit as a great initiative that was extremely useful throughout the tournament. The Investigation Unit dealt with issues, such as the incident at Auckland International Airport involving a fake Pilot and scammed tickets. The benefit of having a dedicated unit like this was that issues relating to the tournament, were dealt with quickly and smoothly.
Policing the aftermath
Police were presented with huge challenges in policing not just the main cites but all centres that hosted games. One hundred extra police officers were sent to Auckland to cope with expanding crowds over the semi-final and final weekend. “The decision was based on the Police’s experience on the opening night of the tournament, and with expanding Fan Zones across the North Shore, the Captain Cook Wharf, Auckland Central and South Auckland”,
Mr O’ Fee said. The Fan Zones had proven to be popular with fans across the tournament, but had become increasingly crowded as the tournament moved on.
Pride in Police performance
When asked how he felt the immense planning and implementation had affected the fans’ view of New Zealand as a host country, O’Fee was very positive. He said, “I believe that the Police have played a small part in making the tournament a success. From a hosting perspective, it shows that New Zealand is very capable of holding another large-scale event in the future.”
Photo courtesy of AFP.
