Vuvuzelas to be 'extinct' in NZ
Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:36
Already banned from the Rugby World Cup next year, the much-trumpeted vuvuzela faces a ban from all rugby grounds in New Zealand.
The vuvuzela, which has provided the soundtrack for the soccer World Cup, has been banned by New Zealand officials from all Tests in their country.
The vuvuzela, a recent South African phenomena, although not exclusive to South Africa, will not be allowed into Saturday's Tri-Nations Test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Auckland's Eden Park.
This follows after recent reports that they will also be banned at next year's World Cup in New Zealand.
Loud horns have never been allowed at Eden Park, Chief Executive David Kennedy said on Wednesday.
"I think its a judgment call on whether to let in certain items," Kennedy added.
"There are 25,000 people expected to turn up to the Test match this weekend and any vuvuzelas brought to the venue will be confiscated."
The official website of the World Cup states that "any air horns or sound amplifiers will be prohibited from games, along with musical instruments and whistles".
Vuvuzelas have become the signature of the soccer World Cup in South Africa, but the monotonous drone is loathed by many, drowning out crowd chants and making it nearly impossible for players to communicate with each other.
The vuvuzela, also known as 'lepatata' (its Tswana name), is typically a 65cm plastic blowing horn that produces a loud, distinctive monotone note.
A similar instrument, known as the corneta, is used in Brazil and other Latin American countries.
Many types of vuvuzela, made by several manufacturers, may produce varying intensity and frequency outputs.
Traditionally made and inspired from a kudu horn, the vuvuzela was used to summon distant villagers to attend community gatherings.
The vuvuzela is most used at soccer matches in South Africa, and it has become a symbol of South African soccer as the stadiums are filled with its loud and raucous sound that reflects the exhilaration of supporters.
The intensity of the sound caught the attention of the global soccer community during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in anticipation of South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The vuvuzela has been the subject of much controversy, although met with enthusiasm from some South African rugby supporters when it featured at the Super 14 semifinal and final at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto - when the Bulls beat the Crusaders and Stormers, respectively, to claim their third Super Rugby title.
However, critics claim that its high sound pressure levels at close range can lead to permanent hearing loss for unprotected ears after exposure.
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