Piri Weepu of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images
Piri Weepu of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images
In the past 10 days Waikato Stadium has undergone a transformation - Rugby World Cup style.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 took over the keys to the stadium last Wednesday and staff have been busy stamping the stadium with RWC and official sponsors' branding ahead of the All Blacks' Friday nightgame against Japan.
As well as the 30,000 plus fans expected to fill the stadium tonight, there will be 450 catering staff ready to serve up 1000 lamb fillets, 200 sides of smoked salmon and crack open 6000 bottles of wine and 36,000 cans of beer.
The organisers won't reveal how many security staff will be at the stadium but the number of police and private security has been ramped up from a normal test match.
As well, liquor monitors will keep an eye out for drunk fans.
Rugby NZ 2011 executive Nigel Cass encourages people to get to the city early and enjoy the fan zone on Alexandra St before taking the walking route to the stadium where about a dozen street performers, including rugby-playing ballerinas and a Welsh dragon, will be roving around from 5.15pm.
The council has confirmed the new lights are ready for the big game.
There are only a few hundred restricted-viewing tickets left for tonight's game and Sunday's Wales v Samoa game, and 5000 for Wales v Fiji on October 2.
Hosting the games has cost about $1.2 million, with the council contributing about $780,000 from in-kind costs such as waiving stadium rent, bringing in 6108 additional seats to boost ground capacity to 31,908, a new mural at the train station and upgrading the stadium lights.
Between $300,000 and $400,000 has been provided from outside sources.
The Japan team leave Hamilton tomorrow and Wales arrive.
A reminder
What you can take into the stadium:
* Flags under 80cm in length * A small amount of non-commercial food * Water in sealed plastic containers up to one litre in size * Personal cameras and cell phones
What you can't:
* Umbrellas * Air horns, vuvuzelas, musical instruments and whistles * Alcohol * Any bottles, glass cans, Thermos flasks and opened or unopened drink bottles (more than a litre) * Chillybins and picnic baskets * Skateboards, roller blades, scooters and bikes * Furniture.
