Huge crowd expected for shield defence

Magpie Tom Parsons holds up the Ranfurly Shield after Hawke's Bay took the Log 'o Wood off the Counties Manukau Steelers at Pukekohe's ECOLight Stadium on August 30. Photo / Getty Images

Rugby fever in Hawke's Bay has quickly switched from All Blacks to Ranfurly Shield with predictions of yet another huge crowd next weekend at McLean Park in Napier.

Hawke's Bay union manager Jay Campbell estimated yesterday about 6000 tickets had been sold for Sunday afternoon's Magpies defence of the shield against Otago.

The union is hoping for a crowd of about 12,000 and possibly even more than the 14,000 at the park when the Magpies lost the shield to Counties-Manukau in a 27-24 thriller last year, just six days after a one-point trophy-winning victory over Otago in Dunedin.

While in-field temporary seating used to help bolster Saturday night's test match crowd to over 23,000 is being removed, the 9000-seat temporary embankment stand remains as Hawke's Bay contemplates a possible four defences before the end of the season.

There was little rest for union staff yesterday, sending off the last New Zealand rugby union property for the next test in Wellington, and beginning the preparations for Sunday's game.

Meanwhile, the Magpies are understood to be focusing just on the rugby, in contrast to the busy week of parades, school visits and other public celebration of the shield in the week before last year's defence.

Hawke's Bay's other ITM Cup matches at McLean Park - all shield defences if the Magpies retain the trophy - are against Bay of Plenty on Saturday, September 20, at 2.35pm, Wellington on Wednesday, October 1, at 7.35pm, and Southland on October 11, at 5.35pm.