Guest Blog from Nick Williams: Staying safe at the RWC 2011 – Tips & Advice

Only a matter of weeks now until the third largest sporting event in the world kicks off. Millions of us are resigned to watching the finals from the safety and comfort of your living room or local pub. However there are rumoured to be over 100,000 fans preparing to board planes and in some cases boats on a trip of a lifetime to New Zealand.

New Zealand has never had a reputation as a dangerous place to visit in fact quite the contrary; it is often regarded as one of the safest and friendliest places amongst the travel community. This reputation is however no reason to ignore common sense or let your guard down below normal travel levels.

With so many travellers and sports fans convening on one location, it goes without saying that opportunist thieves and worse will be out in abundance. It is for this reason that we have tried to outline some top tips and provide a few nuggets of advice to help you stay safe and maximise the fun you are bound to have:

1. Don’t take any valuables

There really is no need to take anything of extreme value to the RWC. Think about what you would take on a normal trip away and follow the same principles. Don’t take flashy watches or your diamond earrings; you simply will not need them. They will also draw unwanted attention to you and your friends/colleagues. By all means take a camera or other means of capturing the experience, but also consider that you will be in large groups or crowds where it is easy to lose track of possession or get pick-pocketed.

2. Use the safe provided

Most hotels these days have personal safes in every room and the majority of the time they are free of charge. There is therefore absolutely no reason not to use them for any valuable you might consider taking. Although 99% of hotel cleaning staff are reputable, why take the risk? Unfortunately you may find yourself falling victim to that 0.1%. If your room doesn’t contain a safe, ask at reception – most will provide some method of security free of charge.

3. Make a note of important emergency numbers

I know it is slightly defeatist, but knowing the number for the local emergency services could really help you or a friend avoid potential trouble. The short-dial emergency code is a must, but also consider the local police station; they are much more likely to appreciate a call about theft or damage.

4. Make copies of important documents

Some of the most valuable possessions you will carry around with you are personal documents. Be these passports and driving licences or insurance documents the same level of diligence should be applied to keeping all of them safe. Not only could you not be able to board your flight home, but your identity could be stolen and then all kinds of problems could arise. Keeping photocopies of these important documents will enable you to quickly reference important numbers and codes in the event of theft or misplacement.

5. Keep an eye on your drink

It goes without saying that the majority of visitors to the RWC will enjoy the après match beers and festivities. New Zealand has a great nightlife at the quietest of times without an influx of over 100,000 thirsty rugby fans. With these numbers comes however added danger, opportunists will be cruising bars and pubs and you should be even more aware than usual of your drinks whereabouts. Most big city bars will also have drink spiking strips, which turn a specific colour when drugs are detected – make use of them when you can. We appreciate that you will probably be drinking with a lot of new people, so where possible ask friends to keep an eye on each other.

6. Have separation plans

Before entering a stadium or highly populated area make sure you and your companions discuss separation plans. It may seem extremely basic but after a few beers when 50,000 other people are pushing in the same direction it is easy to become split from a group. Add to this the potential drop-out in mobile phone signal due to networks being oversubscribed and a night out quickly becomes a nightmare. Pick a landmark and make sure everyone is aware that it has been designated a meet-up spot.

The RWC travel safety tips were brought to you by Yale home alarm systems. Each Yale Gsm alarm system is installed free of charge by a Yale security point engineer.