Can the Hurricanes outdo the Warriors for crowd numbers in Napier?

Hurricanes star Jordie Barrett tackled in a match in Wellington - a taste of things to come for Friday-night footy at McLean Park, Napier, on March 13. Photo / Kerry Marshall - Photosport

Hawke’s Bay is being urged to show the capital city what crowd support really is when Wellington-based Hurricanes play Western Force at McLean Park, Napier.

The March 13 match follows the Hurricanes’ 2026 opening Super Rugby Pacific 52-10 win over Moana Pasifika in front of “just under 14,000” at Sky Stadium, Wellington, a Hurricanes’ spokesman says.

He said ticket sales are “tracking similarly” to those for last year’s Hurricanes match against Fiji Drua in Napier, reported to have had 11,381 spectators.

The Hurricanes’ best home crowd is 13,242, against the Crusaders.

This year it’s the second home region game.

Hawke’s Bay Rugby chief executive officer Jay Campbell says the style of the Hurricanes’ win last weekend points to the side being a “genuine contender” for what would be only the second title for the franchise in Super Rugby’s 31 seasons.

“Friday night footy at McLean Park – it doesn’t get any better,” he said.

The Hurricanes played the Drua in Lautoka on Saturday, and next up have the Waratahs in Sydney.

Napier City Council events manager Kevin Murphy is watching with interest.

He said the Hurricanes “seem to have a different support base” than rugby league’s Warriors, who attracted 13,575 to McLean Park for an NRL pre-season game against Manly Sea Eagles on February 14.

“It will be interesting to see how it goes,” he said. “But it’s fantastic to have Super Rugby back at McLean Park in the provinces, especially two years in a row.

“It’s a bit unusual,” he said, adding he understands the Hurricanes are wanting to connect more in the regions.

“It’s a good chance for the Hawke’s Bay public to show their support.”

He said the matches in the early stages of the season wouldn’t have been possible without the ability to remove the drop-in cricket pitch.

It is back in the ground for a four-day Plunket Shield match between new one-day champions Central Stags and Wellington Firebirds that started on Saturday.

The Hurricanes fielded four 2025 Magpies in their 23 against Moana Pasifika - Devan Flanders and Ereatara Enari, and substitutes Jacob Devery and England-bound Pouri Rakete-Stones.

Isaia Walker-Leawere is also in the squad, while Will Cole, Cooper Flanders and Anaru Paenga-Morgan are in the wider training group.

Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, based in Napier, with more than 40 years’ experience covering news and sports events and issues in Hawke’s Bay.