You shalt not pass: What does it take to get through NZ’s border security

Three, two, onesie, go!

Wellington Sevens officials are expecting about 15,000 fans to attend each day of next weekend’s tournament – a far cry from the full houses at the height of the event’s popularity but slightly up on last year.

While the latest estimates, made a week-and-a-half out from the sporting event, are significantly short of Westpac Stadium’s 34,500-seat capacity, sevens general manager Steve Dunbar was satisfied, given the tournament was in a ‘‘rebuilding phase’’.

‘‘The tournament’s had a lot of success but we need to change it. We’ve done that.

‘‘We’ve reduced price, we’ve addressed entertainment, we’ve addressed food offerings.

‘‘We’ve listened to the fans, and we’re happy with where we’re tracking at the moment.’’

Dunbar, who has been tasked with leading the tournament for the past three years, was asked if the figures meant the event would either break even or post a loss.

‘‘We’ve got an agreement with World Rugby for three more years and we’ve got an agreement in place with Wellington Rugby for three more years,’’ he replied.

‘‘Our focus is to deliver a very good tournament next weekend, then we’ll go through a thorough debrief and we’ll look at things from operational to commercial to marketing.

‘‘Then we will make some decisions from there.’’

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester brushed off suggestions that the tournament’s popularity was in serious decline.

‘‘If we are getting up to those figures that we had last year, then that’s a really solid turnout. Wellington Mayor Justin Lester traded in his mayoral chains for an All Blacks onesie and even claimed a silver medal in the process – all in the name of charity.

Yesterday, he was among more than a dozen runners limbering up for the Onesie 100 – a fundraising race being held just before the final of next weekend’s Wellington Sevens tournament at Westpac Stadium.

Lester, who claimed he had not run a 100-metre race since primary school, finished second in the warmup event on the waterfront.

‘‘Cricketer Peter Younghusband, he was cantering to the finish, he was always a step ahead of me.’’

The pair were awarded their respective medals by Labour MP Grant Robertson, who was ‘‘out injured’’.

Wellington Free Ambulance has been confirmed as the sevens’ charity, because of the organisation’s contribution to the sporting event over its 18-year history.

‘‘We have to raise $4.2 million per year to keep Wellington Free Ambulance going,’’ said chief executive Diana Crossan.

The goal of the race was to ‘‘raise the profile’’ of the charity, which provides free paramedic care in greater Wellington.

Onesie-wearing sevens fans will be invited to enter the January 28 race on the stadium field at 5pm to help raise money. PHOTO: MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ

‘‘Ideally, we want to sell out the stadium, as does everybody, but that’s still a really healthy number.

‘‘We’ve come from these super expectations of selling the tournament out in minutes but we’re 18 years in.

‘‘For a commercial tournament to have that sustained success over that period of time, I think is a phenomenal achievement.

‘‘Likewise, there will be some challenges along the way but I think we can bounce back.’’

The event was once the highlight of Wellington’s sporting summer but has lost some of its lustre in recent years, critics say.

The first signs of trouble came in 2014, when the tournament failed to sell out for the first time in years.

‘‘There’s a number of reasons for that, and in 2015 we went on public sale, the partygoers didn’t buy tickets like they had in the past,’’ Dunbar said.

‘‘So, we could either do nothing at all and wait for it to come right or we could do something.’’

Organisers have tried to distance themselves from the boozefuelled party reputation the sevens used to so proudly display, and management has worked to rebrand it as a more familyfriendly event.

‘‘We’re trying to become an event that anybody can go to and, if you have a look at the tournaments that have survived the test of time on the international series – the likes of Hong Kong – they have a party zone, they have a corporate zone, the upper decks are all alcohol-free ... so we’re looking to follow the same sort of path that they have.

They’ve done a really good job,’’ Dunbar said.