Brollies are banned, bring a raincoat to Toll Stadium to watch the Lions rugby battle

Ditch your brollies when you come to Toll Stadium on Saturday and instead don your raincoat. Photo / NZME

Showers are expected to follow rugby fans to Toll Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday but umbrellas will be banned.

The stadium management is encouraging spectators to don raincoats and watch the British and Irish Lions lock horns with the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians rather than carry large and dangerous items such as umbrellas that can obstruct clear views of the pitch.

MetService's provisional 10-day weather forecast is predicting showers with
southwesterlies in Whangarei on Saturday.

The Whangarei District Council venues and events manager, Gary Parker-Nance, said those coming for the game should note what they could and could not take into the stadium.

Banned are commercially prepared food, soft drinks and alcohol, strollers, large bags and suitcases, large flags and banners with religious, political or offensive content, advertising materials, umbrellas, large cameras and recording equipment.

Small amounts of non commercial food can be brought inside the stadium for personal consumption and plastic bottles of up to 1 litre of water will be allowed.

Mr Parker-Nance said items such as umbrellas and baby prams would be taken off people upon entry and returned after the game.

He urged people to take advantage of free bus shuttles to and from the stadium before and after the match.

Buses will run from Kamo, Onerahi, Maunu, Tikipunga, Otangarei, Raumanga and Morningside at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm as well as 30 minutes after the game has finished around 9.20pm. The buses will be free for match-day ticket holders only.

Taxis are an alternative option for after-match partygoers and those who do not want to drive into town and look for parking spots.

A1 Cabs is putting all 16 of its taxis on the road on match day and A1's operations manager, Shaun Williams, said a busy Saturday was in store for his drivers. The company would normally have "nowhere near that" number of taxis available on a Saturday night.

"The demand will be similar to anywhere where an exceptional event is taking place. There will be two drivers per taxi and they will adapt their work according to the demand," Mr Williams said.

The Northern Advocate tried to reach Kiwi Cabs but neither of the two directors was available for a comment.

Visit citylinkwhangarei.co.nz/service-updates/#update-1146 for more information about free bus shuttles.