Abstract:
International sport event organizers around the world have placed considerations of terrorism
high on their planning and risk management agendas since September 1, 2OO1. Increased public
awareness about the threat of terrorism and associated safety concerns have led to increased security,
especially for large multicountry international events. To date there has been limited empirical research
on the relationship between sport event attendance and the impact of terrorism, with the exception
of the body of work on the 1972 Olympic Games.In this article the authors outline the extensive
antiterrorism security measures taken at the 2OO3 Rugby World Cup held in Australia. To determine
the impact ofthese measures, event attendeeswere surveyed to determine the extent to which terrorism
influenced event attendees' motivations, perceptions of safety, and level of enjoyment. The results
indicate that security measures were perceived as sufficient and attendees were generally not deterred
by the threat of terrorism. The heightened security enhanced the event experience for some attendees,
with only a small minority reporting a negative impact on satisfaction. Suggestions for further research
and practice are discussed.
