Messam backs Hamilton hosting sevens tourney
Pop the champagne – Hamilton will bring the party back to the New Zealand Sevens.
Forget the V8 drama, too. The city won’t be contributing a cent. The sevens bid is fully funded by private business and ratepayers will only have to hand over the keys to the stadium for the weekend.
Yesterday New Zealand Rugby announced that Hamilton will now host the New Zealand leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
The sevens, which have been held in Wellington for 18 years, have lacked charisma and audience for the past four.
But managing director of Hamilton event company 37 South, Dallas Fisher, who was instrumental in winning the bid to bring the sevens to Hamilton, said the new-look sevens will be an all-round experience, something lacking in Wellington for the past four years.
Fisher said the company understood that Hamilton City Council is not in a position to contribute financially.
‘‘We all understand that council is pressed for money and so council is not putting any cash into this event, 37 South is. So 37 South has raised funds in order to bring not just the sevens but further new events to Hamilton every year.
‘‘If we look at the whole cost of coming to the event in Wellington, it’s about $1200 per person. That’s a lot. By being located in Hamilton and an hourand-a-half south of Auckland, we are looking to bring tens of thousands of people out of Auckland City to come to the Waikato,’’ Fisher said.
‘‘We’re really excited about the Pasifika community. We see a whole vibrancy around Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, where their fans can come to Hamilton and support their teams and it’s totally affordable for them.
‘‘We are putting zones in place and we are bringing back the party. I want to see hundreds of superheroes, all sorts of characters dressed up and waving the flags for their team and really enjoy the festival we are going to create here at FMG Waikato Stadium.
‘‘It’s sevens rugby that is the catalyst to build the festival. At the back of the Wel Networks stand, we are looking to put a major theme park together so Former NZ Sevens star Liam Messam is backing Hamilton to turn on a great event after claiming from Wellington the hosting rights for the New Zealand leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Hamilton was announced yesterday as the new host of the event after years of dwindling crowd numbers finally brought to an end Wellington’s 18-year tenure of the rugby sevens event.
people can enjoy DJs, enjoy bands, they can go for a ride on circus entertainment – just the whole vibrancy – and then come back into the grounds and watch their team play. This will be all encompassed in the ticket they purchase.’’
Hamilton Mayor Andrew King, who
Messam was confident Hamilton would ‘‘turn it on’’ for the event that will be held in the Waikato in both 2018 and 2019, when NZ Rugby’s licence for the leg on the World Series comes to an end.
The All Black flanker’s comment came at the announcement of the venue switch, celebrated in Hamilton with cake, Moet champagne and discussion on costumes to be worn in 2018.
is a keen sevens fan and once dressed as a surgeon to watch a game in Wellington, is allaying ratepayer fears that they will have to foot the bill, like they did for the V8s.
‘‘I’m very excited for Hamilton. Hamilton City Council is making the stadium available at a time it would have been empty on that weekend at no cost to the ratepayer. The financial rewards through this are huge.’’
New Zealand Sevens general manager Steve Dunbar said a number of issues contributed to the demise of sevens in Wellington, but believes the move to the Waikato will reignite the fans’ passion for the game.
‘‘We think there’s a fantastic rugby venue here, custom-made to deliver rugby,’’ Dunbar said.
‘‘We think we can offer more than just a rugby tournament because of the venue we’ve got here in Hamilton.’’
And New Zealand Rugby Sevens captain Scott Curry agrees.
‘‘The tournament in Wellington was slowly dying off, so I think we can give it a new lease of life here in Hamilton.
‘‘I think the set-up they’ve got here in Hamilton is really good.’’
Tickets go on sale in July.
6 The man who said Hamilton would only ruin the sevens has changed his tune, now he’s seen the small print.
And while outspoken Hamilton bar owner John Lawrenson is not quite ready to pop the champagne, he is backing the man behind the bid.
Lawrenson said that if 37 South director Dallas Fisher is left to his own devices to develop his Hamilton Sevens vision, people should be very excited.
Lawrenson, chief executive of Lawrenson Group, which owns 16 Hamilton bars, launched a scathing attack on the local council and police when he learned of Hamilton’s bid to secure the sevens in April.
He said Hamilton City Council, police and ‘‘60-year-old hand-wringers’’ would screw up the event by trying to make it family focused.
Lawrenson now says it was the involvement of 37 South’s managing director that got him on board.
‘‘I’m more confident. I think the fact that Dallas is behind it is going to be a really big thing,’’ he said.
An events company, 37 South was set up by local businesses to attract big events to Hamilton.
‘‘He’s a really good businessman and, let’s be clear, this isn’t a bunch of fuddyduddies organising this.
‘‘He understands events, he understands entertainment.
‘‘If everyone gets out of his way and allows him to deliver his vision for the sevens in Hamilton, they should be very excited, because it will be back to the good old days of sevens.
‘‘So now, really, I guess the last great barrier is going to be the way that the police act.’’
Lawrenson said the key to success was policing the troublemakers, not those just out having a good time.
‘‘Hamilton does have a very collaborative leadership in the police force here and they’ve had a lot of success with their City Safe initiatives and working with local operators, with the health department and council.
‘‘If they take that strategy and apply it here, the party can be great.’’
Lawrenson has concerns around liquor licensing and rules around drinking at the
18-20
stadium. ‘"In Wellington it seemed a little nanny-state-ish, but once again, the conversations that have been had so far is that it’s not going to be the case in Hamilton.
‘‘I’m quietly optimistic. If it’s done well, what a great positive for Hamilton. It’s a great venue, great location, great atmosphere.’’
Fisher said he had spoken to Lawrenson and the two were working toward making the event succeed.
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