Vuvuzelas strike sour note in New Zealand
Reuters - Wednesday 07 July 2010, 08:43
WELLINGTON - New Zealand stadium
authorities have moved swiftly to ensure the vuvuzelas
providing an ear-splitting backdrop to the football World Cup in
South Africa are unlikely to be heard at next year's rugby
equivalent.
The long plastic horns, likened to the sound of a swarm of
angry bees, have already been banned from this weekend's
Tri-Nations opener between the All Blacks and South Africa in
Auckland and other stadiums are set to follow suit.
"I think it's a judgment call on whether to let in certain
items," Eden Park's chief executive David Kennedy told NZPA on
Wednesday.
"There are 25,000 people expected to turn up to the test
match this weekend and any vuvuzelas brought to the venue will
be confiscated."
Christchurch's AMI stadium officials are also likely to
slap a ban on the trumpets for the Bledisloe Cup clash between
New Zealand and Australia on August 7.
"We would be concerned about the potential for them to
spoil the experience for fans at the stadiums," said Bryan
Pearson, the chief executive of venue management company VBase.
"Given the experience at the World Cup, I can't see
that that sort of deafening drone is going to be in any way
well received by fans at AMI stadium."
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