The Warriors were on the field, and in the stands were some of the biggest fans, Napier-style. Photo / Photography by Corena
The Warriors were on the field, and in the stands were some of the biggest fans, Napier-style. Photo / Photography by Corena
The chase is on for more big events at McLean Park in Napier after the success of the New Zealand Warriors' NRL pre-season rugby league match against Sydney side the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles on Saturday.
The match attracted 13,575 fans – in tune with other Warriors pre-season matches –and several thousand more than the average across all NRL pre-season games.
It was the biggest crowd at the park since the Warriors’ competition match against the Brisbane Broncos attracted 16,546 and the biggest since 21,329 packed the ground for the 2014 rugby union international between the All Blacks and Argentina.
The 2015 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the St George Illawarra Dragons attracted 14,522 spectators.
The horrors of spectator pitch invasions at the Warriors match three years ago – met at the time with calls for Napier to be left out in the future – became a distant memory, and there was no call for intervention by the security team of about 80 personnel.
But for some players, there will have been the realisation that it was the Warriors’ second loss in two games on the park, with Manly – “a team brimming with youth and part-time footballers”, according to their own media – winning 33-18.
Fans came prepared for the rain on the McLean Park embankment on Saturday. It threatened all day, but mainly stayed away. Photo / Photography by Corena
Napier City Council events manager Kevin Murphy, whose job is to attract events to the park and other council facilities, said there would have been more fans had it not been for the weekend’s weather, although there was little to none of the rain that threatened throughout.
“We always had a view it would go well,” he said. “There were a few empty spaces on the embankment and in the stands, which was to be expected with the weather.
Murphy said the crowd size seemed to be comparable with the first-round Super Rugby Pacific games that were also played over the weekend.
He said he was keen to attract the Warriors back for another competition game, and believed the club would be receptive, but is also chasing such other events as A-League football matches involving Auckland FC or the Wellington Phoenix.
The national men’s rugby league side, the Kiwis, are also on the radar, most likely a Pacific Cup match if the draw allows.
Murphy said the match had served Rugby League Hawke’s Bay well, with events on Thursday and Friday, and with the curtain-raisers, featuring Hawke’s Bay women’s 18-0 win over Bay of Plenty, and two children’s matches.
The match came just seven days after the park was used for a one-day cricket match between Central Districts and Auckland.
Doug Laing is Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, based in Napier with more than 40 years’ experience in the region covering news events and issues, including sports.
