Packing McLean Park in Napier for a Hawke's Bay-Counties Manukau match in 2018. The unions meet at the park on August 12 in the Magpies' first home NPC game of 2022. Photo / NZME
Packing McLean Park in Napier for a Hawke's Bay-Counties Manukau match in 2018. The unions meet at the park on August 12 in the Magpies' first home NPC game of 2022. Photo / NZME
The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is already getting a healthy response from clubs, schools, charities and other groups to which it is offering up to 2500 free tickets for the Magpies' home national championship and Ranfurly Shield matches over the next two months.
The tickets, for seats in the GraemeLowe Stand at Napier's McLean Park, are being made available at up to 500 a match by arrangement with the Rodney Green Foundation, starting with the Friday-night Ranfurly Shield defence against Counties Manukau on August 12.
Other home games, all scheduled as Ranfurly Shield matches as long as the Magpies remain the holders, are Saturday-afternoon games on August 27 and September 10, and night games on September 17 and September 30.
The union will discuss match preferences with applicants and how to accommodate children's attendance with families, and applications are now open to the clubs, schools, charities and other groups through a link on the Magpies website https://www.sporty.co.nz/magpies/FAN-ZONE-1/magpies-for-all-tickets.
Union commercial manager Dan Somerville said sponsor Rodney Green and the union want to spark the interest and dreams of children with opportunities to be at the games and to meet the Magpies players.
"Rodney Green has generously supported this initiative with the goal to provide an opportunity for all kids to attend a game, meet Magpies players and provide an experience which may inspire our children," Somerville said.
The Magpies will that day run out in a jersey produced just for one game, the focus of Hawke's Bay's support for chosen 2022 charity Cranford Hospice.
The jerseys will be auctioned on Trade Me and these will be listed for bidding as they are uploaded this week, all proceeds being donated to Cranford.
