Hawke’s Bay couple get married at McLean Park during Magpies interval

Heath Kingston and Te Ana Anderson said "I Do" on the 22m line at McLean Park. Photo / Erika Berendsen Photography

McLean Park has been a hallowed piece of turf for many a rugby player.

But it’s now become much more so after a Hawke’s Bay couple got hitched at halftime of the Magpies-Wellington match on Saturday.

Heath Kingston and Te Ana Anderson are farmers near Hastings and are huge Hawke’s Bay Magpies fans.

The couple have been together for the last 16 years and for 14 of those years, they’ve been set to wed – but Covid and life got in the way of two previously planned weddings.

Then, on Friday August 22, the pair won a competition to say “I do” at the 22m line of McLean Park on The Hits Breakfast radio show with Adam Green and Megan Banks.

Banks was also the celebrant at the ceremony.

After 14 years of engagement, the duo now had only two weeks to plan their big day.

Towards the end of the first half of Saturday’s game, the Magpies were three tries up and had managed to deny a Wellington try, buoying the crowd’s spirits and starting the wedding off on the right note.

Murmurs quickly worked their way through the crowd as they turned to each other to ask if they would get hitched at the rugby, given the chance.

A mouthwatering aroma of deep-fried flavour wafted over the stadium as Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur came over the speakers and Kingston strode out along the red carpet on the pitch in front of the Harris Stand.

Then Anderson appeared in a beautiful white dress that had the crowd on their feet, cheering.

Banks welcomed the crowd and told tales of the pair’s love.

Then came the vows, which are hard enough to read in front of your friends and family, let alone thousands of strangers.

Heath Kingston and Te Ana at McLean Park during halftime. Photo / Erika Berendsen Photography

Then Banks said the magic words and the pair were officially married, lifting the crowd to their feet and helping the Magpies to go on to win the game 45-19.

Anderson said walking out in front of the crowd was pretty scary, but was grateful for the rehearsal, while Kingston said it was easier than he thought it would have been.

There was no honeymoon planned yet.

“Back to normal tomorrow to be honest,” Heath said.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin and Napier.