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Military staff are being urged to think about joining an anti-terrorist squad which would, among other things, look after 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) security.
The Counter Terrorist Tactical Assault Group (CTTAG) is part of the elite army Special Air Service (SAS).
The drive for new recruits had been prompted by "a surge in the global war on terrorism", said the New Zealand Defence Force.
The RWC was expected to attract more than 60,000 visitors for 48 games spread across 13 venues in September and October 2011.
"International developments" had heightened the need for "an effective on call counter-terrorist capability", an army source told the New Zealand Herald newspaper.
The CTTAG was formed after the SAS struggled to recruit enough personnel to cover an increasing international workload and fulfil its counter-terrorist role at home.
Terrorist attacks such as that on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan this month showed the need for security at large-scale sports events, the defence source said.
CTTAG would work with existing anti-terrorist organisations including police groups such as the special tactics groups, armed offender squads, diplomatic protection squad and specialist search group.