Scaffolders David Junior Makikiriti, left and Sam Leohan installing a temporary grandstand at Toll Stadium in preparation for the upcoming Lions Game to be played at the venue
Scaffolders David Junior Makikiriti, left and Sam Leohan installing a temporary grandstand at Toll Stadium in preparation for the upcoming Lions Game to be played at the venue
By Imran Ali
From getting the temporary stands ready in time for the big game to making sure 120kg of ice is ready for each team post-match, every minor detail matters for Toll Stadium management in their buildup for the looming Lions clash.
The Lions roar into Whangarei for theirfirst match against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians on June 3, bringing with them an estimated 2000 fans from the United Kingdom to Toll Stadium.
The game will be watched by 22,000 fans in the stadium and televised to 23 million viewers throughout the world.
Scaffold workers started putting up two temporary stands behind the goalposts on Monday and they should be completed by today.
Venue and Events manager at the stadium, Gary Parker-Nance, said rugby fans would come and enjoy two great teams slugging it out but were not aware of the amount of preparation behind the scenes.
"We're very confident of providing a great playing surface and the community can be proud of the effort everybody has put in," he said.
As was the case during the Rugby World Cup pool matches at the same venue in 2011, he said 90 volunteers had been selected to help in tasks such as ushering fans to their seats and checking tickets.
Electricians climbed on the floodlights towers on Tuesday to replace bulbs that were blown and to ensure they provided the right intensity of light for televising the match.
Mitchell Sim of Laser Electrical Whangarei replacing floodlight bulbs at Toll Stadium in preparation for the British and Irish Lions first match next weekend.
A backup generator capable of powering all electrical equipment at the stadium, including the floodlights, will be on standby during the match.
The pitch, together with two training grounds on Pohe Island and another by the athletics track in Kensington, are no-go zones and the cool season grass planted eight weeks ago are mowed daily.
Vodafone is installing two cellphone towers to cope with thousands of fans calling and receiving texts during the game.
A small area of the Old Boys Rugby Club closest to the stadium's embankment will be fenced off to cater for additional food stalls.
Project manager for the first match of the Lions' series, Peter Gleeson, said everything from getting the pitch ready to providing 120kg of ice to each team after the match needed to be bang on.
"We have teleconference meetings with the NZRU on a weekly basis to make sure preparation is well on track. They roll in on the Wednesday before the game and we hand over the stadium to them."
