Hawke's Bay fans' chance to snap trophies

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union chief executive Mike Bishop with the Championship trophy and Napier Mayor Bill Dalton and Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Last weekend's highly-charged All Blacks win over Australia has made it possible for Hawke's Bay rugby fans to get a close-up look at the silverware the sides battled for.

The Bledisloe Cup will be housed by New Zealand Rugby for another year, although for the next few days it will be in the hands of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union - the perfect way to stir up the atmosphere for the upcoming All Blacks clash with Argentina at McLean Park.

As well, the cup at stake in that match, the Investec Rugby Championship, is also in the Bay.

The All Blacks, Australia, South Africa and Argentina are all gunning to eventually lift it and a win at McLean Park will give the Kiwis a strong edge.

The union's commercial manager Jay Campbell had been making a few calls to get the trophies to Napier and was delighted to receive the thumbs-up during the weekend.

"It's all very much coming together," he said of the September 6 All Black test, the first to be played at McLean Park since 1996 when the ABs took on and beat Samoa. The rugby fever could however get an even greater boost if the rugby union finds itself in the position to accommodate a third trophy - the Ranfurly Shield.

"Throw in a prospective shield win and next week could be one huge rugby party across Hawke's Bay," Mr Campbell said.

The Magpies take on Counties on Saturday.

Yesterday he gave Napier Mayor Bill Dalton and Hastings District Council Mayor Lawrence Yule a close-up look at the silverware, and they were both naturally impressed, and both confident, that the Investec Championship silverware would be lifted by the All Blacks at the end of the series.

While assembling the cups a couple visiting Napier from Brisbane were delighted to catch sight of the Bledisloe.

"Oh I definitely follow the rugby," Garry Greenaway said.

He asked if he could get his photo with it and Mr Campbell said "no problem".

"This is awesome," was his response.

Mr Campbell said members of the public would get their chance to have their photos taken with the trophies at the union's Chapman Pavilion offices at McLean Park between 3.30pm and 5.30pm today, tomorrow and Thursday.

Appropriately enough they will be just past the ticketing office. "We still have a few tickets on sale."

Both Mr Dalton and Mr Yule urged people to head along to see the seemingly invincible All Blacks play "in our patch" as a top result crowd-wise would increase the Bay's chances of staging other major fixtures.

Mr Dalton said the value to the region was immense, coming in at around $5 million.