Luke Combs performs a shoey with NZ rugby stars at Eden Park concert

Luke Combs performed a shoey alongside rugby stars at his Eden Park concert on January 18. Photo / Corey Fleming / @zmoline

Home-grown rugby stars joined US country music legend Luke Combs on stage at Eden Park as he performed a shoey in front of the crowd during his Saturday night show at New Zealand’s national stadium.

In a video posted by ZM on social media, the Where The Wild Things Are hitmaker could be seen on stage alongside rugby stars from the All Blacks and Super Rugby teams such as the Blues and the Crusaders.

All Blacks David Havili and Finlay Christie and Crusaders player Quinten Strange were among the group of a dozen or so rugby professionals who filed on to the makeshift platform with drinks in hand.

One of the rugby stars carried a cowboy boot for the Grammy Award-winning singer, which Combs took as he hyped up the crowd and the players.

Fans could be heard screaming and cheering as Combs drank his shoey while the rugby players shotgunned their cans.

After polishing off his bootlegged drink, Combs raised his hand to the sky before diving into 1, 2 Many (featuring Brooks and Dunn) from his 2019 album What You See Is What You Get, as the rugby stars danced along and filmed the moment unfolding.

Combs was in Aotearoa over the weekend to perform two massive gigs on January 17 and 18 at the Mt Eden venue.

Eden Park is primarily a sports venue, commonly used to host Super Rugby, provincial and international rugby union matches during the winter season.

In a review of Friday night’s concert, Herald entertainment reporter Mitchell Hageman said Combs and his crew “delivered a top-class country extravaganza, packed with pitch-perfect musicianship, heartfelt stories, and a party atmosphere that I reckon could’ve left some wanting to book the next flight to Nashville”.

He described the scene on Friday night as “one that proved Aotearoa’s love for country music is stronger than it’s ever been.”

Eden Park has a capacity for over 50,000 attendees at concerts, so around 100,000 country music fans from across Aotearoa are estimated to have packed the stands over the two nights.

The When It Rains It Pours singer, who fittingly donned an All Blacks cap for both concerts, is a huge fan of rugby and once played New Zealand’s national sport while he studied at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

Luke Combs charmed the crowd of thousands at Eden Park on January 17 with his charisma and cheeky smile. Photo / Corey Fleming

Speaking to the Herald‘s Jenni Mortimer in 2022, Combs revealed he was just “one try away from making the Eagles [US men’s national rugby team]” while in university and joked that “making the All Blacks never happened”.

“It was fun. I played for three and a half years in college and I had a really great time doing that. I played football in high school, so it was kind of an easy transition.

“Obviously, there are some major differences. At the end of the day, you get to hit people, and that was pretty gratifying,” he joked.

“I love rugby, I love watching it,” he added.

Combs previously confessed during his last New Zealand show in August 2023 that within four days of being in the country, he had “shot a red stag and been to an All Blacks game”.

“I’m really having a good time,” he told the crowd at Spark Arena.

Tom Rose is an Auckland-based digital producer and editorial assistant for the Herald who covers lifestyle, entertainment, and travel.