A sold-out Go Media stadium for an Auckland FC game. Photo / Photosport
When the Blues’ 2026 schedule is confirmed in the next few weeks, it is likely to raise a few eyebrows.
The Herald understands the Super Rugby Pacific franchise is set to play up to two matches at Go Media Stadium – formerly Mt Smart – next season.
It’s a significant shift. While the majority of their seven-game home season will still be at Eden Park – their base for three decades – they will also test the water across town.
Contract negotiations are ongoing and there could still be a late twist, with a lot of pieces to the puzzle. But it is believed the Blues have decided to try the Penrose venue, which has become an unlikely hit over the last few years, as the scene of bumper crowds and eye-catching atmospheres for the Warriors and, latterly, Auckland FC.
It’s an interesting call by the Blues, who have been assessing their options since June. In an extensive process, they surveyed fans, stakeholders and commercial partners about the pros and cons of Eden Park, along with the benefits and limitations of other stadiums.
The fact that the Blues saw fit to cast the net illustrates their uneasy alliance with Eden Park.
The last deal, signed in October 2023, came after protracted negotiations.
As far back as 2016, the Blues publicly voiced their support in principle for a new downtown arena, with then chief executive Michael Redman saying the proposed central city stadium would “provide a good business model, as well as a venue with a great atmosphere and fan experience”.
But those with knowledge of the process this time say it was by far the most extensive, given the involvement of so many external parties.
“It’s the closest the Blues have ever come to moving on,” one observer said.
The issues are ones that have dogged the Sandringham venue for mid-level events; its vast size, the shape – not ideal for footballing codes – and the distance from the action for spectators. There’s also the cost of opening, given the scale of the venue and factors such as traffic management and road closures.
The Blues have also noticed the buzz created by the Warriors in recent years – and latterly Auckland FC – playing at a mid-sized rectangular venue.
“Look at the Warriors example – playing in a smaller stadium that’s packed every week,” a former Blues employee said. “The environment’s awesome. The crowd’s close to the players. It’s good for a high-performance outcome because the players feel like they get home support.
“But you play at Eden Park and even if you get a similar crowd figure to the Warriors, it feels empty.”
There are obvious pros and cons. Eden Park is well set up for broadcasting and media, has a much larger corporate area and more modern changing rooms and team facilities.
There’s the all-weather concourse and a greater range of seating. But it’s hampered by the ability to produce atmosphere in the 55,000-capacity arena, which feels more crucial than ever before for the modern game-day vibe.
That was the starting point for the Blues – how can they create the best possible supporter experience? How can they make people feel like they are part of something and drag them back, match after match?
That has been a challenge in recent years, despite on-field success.
Commercially, there are also different equations. Eden Park has almost three times more corporate boxes than Go Media but it retains usage rights for a significant proportion. It also sells Eden Park memberships.
“It’s more open slather [at Go Media],” an industry expert said. “When you are the host, it means you essentially own the stadium for the day.”
Privately, the Blues say the exercise has been useful in gauging the views of the fanbase, from people who think a move to Go Media would be “awesome” to others who insisted the team belong at Eden Park, with the 30th anniversary season around the corner.
Even within the younger supporters, the Herald understands views were mixed.
“Some love the idea of moving, some hate it and some felt maybe there was a sweet spot in the middle,” said a source familiar with the results.
Eden Park would have been desperate to retain the Super Rugby Pacific franchise as their only major anchor tenant, having missed out on Auckland FC.
While it always seemed likely that the Blues would remain at Eden Park – given the history and legacy – it wasn’t guaranteed.
But there were considerable roadblocks if the Blues had decided on a full switch south.
Firstly, there would be a scheduling crunch. Super Rugby Pacific is generally only played on Friday and Saturday nights. The NRL runs from Thursday to Sunday but the Warriors mainly fill Friday and Saturday slots.
Of their 10 Auckland matches this season, only two were on a Sunday. Similarly, the vast majority of Auckland FC home fixtures last season were on a Saturday. There would be ways around it – given all three teams travel – but aligning the draws would be extremely challenging.
The second aspect would be the playing surface. There are past precedents in Australia, with ground-sharing in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane across three or even four teams, and the pitch can be compromised.
Thirdly, there are the commercial realities. As an example, Bayleys is a sponsor of the Warriors, including the corporate lounge, which has 60 sold-out tables every match day. That would clash with fellow real estate giant Barfoot and Thompson, a major backer of the Blues.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George didn’t want to comment for this story, saying he would wait until the Blues schedule was finalised.
“Until then, I can’t answer your questions,” George said.
But club insiders said the potential new tenants had caused considerable consternation at the NRL franchise.
Auckland FC were also taking a wait-and-see approach.
“It would definitely be a challenge,” Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker told the Herald.
“Blues games are played at the same time as us and the Warriors. We’re constantly in dialogue with the stadium about how they want to protect the pitch and often restrict access for us.
“So if you add in another team ... I would need to fully understand what is being proposed.”
Becker also pointed to potential draw complexities.
“I’ve seen how hard it is to do the A-League draw,” Becker added. “So to try and get the A-League, the NRL and Super Rugby all working together – it’s an ambitious task, let me say that much.”
Talking to the Herald two weeks ago, Auckland Stadiums director James Parkinson said there were multiple factors to weigh up.
“It’s no secret that the Blues have been looking [at Go Media],” Parkinson said.
“It’s very much to do with the attributes of the venue here and recognising what is happening with the fan experience with the Warriors and Auckland FC.
“The challenge for us is that we want to ensure that we’re doing the right things by our existing tenants.
“We would be keen to have some Blues content here, though ultimately that decision sits with the Blues. But equally, we would not want to be impacting detrimentally on either the Warriors or Auckland FC.”
Parkinson agreed that scheduling would be a challenge, along with maintaining the playing surface.
“If you look at the state of some of those fields in Australia, you need to be careful,” Parkinson said.
Overall, Parkinson said that the contribution of the Warriors in particular – as permanent tenants since 1995 – would need to be respected, ahead of any new arrangements.
“We wouldn’t want to do anything that negatively impacts on arrangements for them.”
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.