‘Courtsiders’ evicted from opening game
CHRISTCHURCH: Officials evicted several people from the opening match at Hagley Oval on Saturday after they were suspected of being involved in illicit gambling.
The people were all evicted for the practice known as 'courtsiding', New Zealand Police said in a statement.
Courtsiding involves people at a game relaying information via smartphones or mobile communications devices to gambling syndicates to take advantage of broadcasting time delays.
The practice is different from match-fixing, which was made illegal under New Zealand's Crimes Act last year, where a pre-determined outcome has been assured.
Local media had reported witnessing several people being escorted out of the ground in Christchurch and police later said they had been in breach of the ticketing regulations under suspicion of the practice. “We know what to look for," said New Zealand Police's officer in charge of the World Cup, Superintendent Sandy Manderson. “We’re aware that people are attempting to operate at venues and they will be detected, evicted and trespassed from all venues.”
During the match, two naked men, known as 'streakers' in New Zealand and Australia, had stormed the field in the final moments of the event.
Both were brought down by security staff before they got close to any of the players and were escorted out of the venue.