Extended trading hours - Rugby World Cup 2023

Temporary amendments have been made to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 for the men's Rugby World Cup 2023. These amendments allow eligible on-licence and club licence holders throughout New Zealand to extend their trading hours in order to televise live games from the tournament in France, without having to apply for a special licence.

The process for extended trading hours is very similar to amendments made in 2015 and 2019: licence holders need to notify their territorial authority and the local Police station seven days before to the game/games they wish to extend their trading hours for. This year, licensees also need to notify their territorial authority and Police to cancel their original notification, if they change their minds about extending their trading hours for a game/games. Additionally, the Police has a record-keeping requirement for the amendments.

The Act amendments set out specific requirements for licensees to be able to extend their trading hours. Please download and review the following information.

Notifying your extended trading hours

To submit your notification to extend trading hours for your premises through Business Connect, you will need to have a RealMe login (see instructions below) A RealMe verified identity isn't required.

1. Click on the Business Connect link here.
2. Log in using your RealMe login. If you don't have a RealMe login or if it is your first time logging onto Business Connect, you will need to verify your email address.
3. From the Business Connect dashboard, click the 'Hospitality' tab.
4. Click on the 'Rugby World Cup extended trading hours' tile to begin the form.

If you experience any technical difficulties using the Business Connect platform, please contact hello@businessconnect.govt.nz. Alternatively, you can find RealMe support here.

For any further enquiries, please contact the Council: eho@wairoadc.govt.nz