This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

After doomsday warnings over possible beer shortages during the Rugby World Cup in Japan, it is fans’ appetite for solid, rather than liquid refreshment, that has created the first minor headache for organisers.

Just four days into the tournament, an unpopular ban on fans taking food into the 12 venues has been dropped after complaints about long queues and food quickly selling out inside the stadiums.

The organising committee said that from Monday – starting with the Pool D clash between Wales and Georgia in Toyota – supporters would be permitted to take in a “reasonable amount of food”, and admitted that the service at some venues had fallen short of expectations.

“The opening weekend has demonstrated that the level of service is not befitting that of a Rugby World Cup, with some fans experiencing queuing delays and some vendors prematurely running out of some food options,” the committee said in a statement on Monday.

“With fan experience a major priority, the organising committee, in consultation with World Rugby, has taken the decision to allow fans to bring a reasonable amount of food into the venue for personal consumption from today.”

However, the organisers added that fans were still banned from taking their own drinks into the stadium, saying there had been no issues with supplies of beer and other drinks.

“Beer and soft drinks provision has been significantly increased in venues, including the provision of free water stations, and is successfully meeting requirements,” the statement said.

Before the six-week tournament opened last Friday, organisers had predicted that thirsty supporters would work their way through as many as 100,000 350ml glasses of beer at each match.

To meet the expected demand, Kirin, a Japanese brewery licensed to produce Heineken in Japan, said it had produced more than three times the amount of the Dutch beer in September than in the same month last year, Jiji news agency said.

Hub, a chain of British-style pubs, said it had secured seven times its normal supply on tap at bars near World Cup stadiums.

Food shortages at stadiums drew protests on social media, with some rugby fans posting photos of “sold out” signs.

One Twitter user noted that food had been hard to come by at Tokyo Stadium for the opening game between Japan and Russia on Friday, and again on Saturday when New Zealand played South Africa in Yokohama.

Addressing her message to the organisers, she wrote: “Why are you hurting people’s feelings and risking their health just to make money?”

Another said organisers had given over too much space to beer sellers, at the expense of food. “In any case, Japanese fans don’t drink as much beer as the tournament’s organisers think,” the user wrote.