Extra stand may set Bay record

NEW SEATING: Thousands of seats and other components needed for the temporary grandstands at McLean Park. PHOTOS/PAUL TAYLOR HBT14257501

Work has begun on what is thought to to be the biggest temporary grandstand project attempted in Hawke's Bay, with about 9500 seats having arrived at McLean Park, Napier, for the All Blacks' rugby test against Argentina on September 6.

The seats arrived yesterday, as an excavator was already at work at the eastern end of the park, where a nine-aisle, 42-row uncovered stand will extend from inside the permanent fence boundary to the top of the embankment.

Other banks of seating will be installed for about 2500 people in front of the Harris Stand on the Latham St side, 700-800 in front of the Rodney Green stand (formerly the Centennial Stand) at the western end, and two rows of near-sideline seats for about 250 people at the foot of the Graeme Lowe Stand.

The work includes permanent stabilising installations for use if the seating is brought in for other major events.

The embankment is likely to be closed as a construction site for about four weeks, meaning it will probably be out of bounds for the Hawke's Bay's Maddison Trophy club rugby final and a Magpies pre-ITM Cup match against Waikato on August 9.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union commercial manager Jay Campbell said hopefully it could be used for the Magpies' first home game of the cup season, against Taranaki, on August 22, making it the first time McLean Park had been an all-seated venue.

Mr Campbell said last night just under 3000 tickets to the test match were still available, but he was confident they would be sold.

It will lift the crowd to about 22,750, about 5000 more than the only previous All Blacks test at McLean Park, against Manu Samoa in 1996.

The biggest crowd at the park, however, was an estimated 26,000 for a Hawke's Bay defence of the Ranfurly Shield against Wellington in the 1966-69 shield era.

The embankment seating means many fans will not be able to see the full screen, so another will be placed in the corner between the Graeme Lowe Stand and the embankment.