Pre-Season Game at Mangatainoka Sold Out Already

Press Release
Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Pre-Season Game at Mangatainoka Sold Out Already

With nine days to go before the Hurricanes take on the Blues in a Rebel Sport Super 14 pre-season game at the Mangatainoka RFC all tickets have been sold.

Hurricanes Chief Executive Officer Greg Peters couldn’t think of a better way for his team to start the new season.

“This is a fantastic way to kick off the 2010 Hurricanes season and we’re thrilled with the level of support we have received for this historic fixture,” he said. “The team at Tui Brewery and the local Mangatainoka community has worked extremely hard to turn this vision into reality. I know how much the players are looking forward to the game and they will be very keen to put on a real show in front of our first ever full house for a pre-season match.”

The pre-season opener, to be held on Saturday January 23rd in Mangatainoka is the brainchild of Tui Brewery commercial manager and Wairarapa resident Nick Rogers who is determined to help bring about a groundswell of grassroots support. He said while all the available 7600 seated tickets sold out on Wednesday afternoon more were expected to attend the game because children under 10-years of age are free.

“We have our quota with 7600 ticket holders, so there certainly won’t be any gate sales … little Mangatainoka will be bursting at the seams with this number as it is” said Mr Rogers. “Those that have missed out will now have to fight for tickets on Trademe.”

Mr Rogers is billing next weekend’s game as a festival of sport with pre match and post match entertainment. He said rugby greats Sir Brian Lochore and Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads and rugby commentator Keith Quinn have been invited to speak to 1000 corporate ticket holders while Meads was expected to kick-off the curtain raiser between a Tui Invitational XV and a Mangatainoka RFC Invitation XV with Sir Brian tipped to be named as No 8. In addition there will be a helicopter drop, an air show, Tui Brewery girls, plus a lot more surprises and entertainment.

“This is all about bringing the big show to the small town!” said Mr Rogers. “The ground was a paddock … now it’s smooth enough for those Aucklanders to play bowls on and that’s what is so beautiful about the event – its back to basics and bringing the professionals to grass roots! “

Mr Rogers said the game was a great sponsorship initiative between the two partners- Hurricanes and Tui - while PGG Wrightson and Silver Fern Farms had also helped support the event to give it a truly ‘grass roots’ flavor. He added there would be no more available seating to the game and said it was imperative for people to bring their tickets.

“It’s not often that an old rugby club and a brewery gets to host a rugby game - let alone a Super 14 match, so we’re really looking forward to seeing all the rugby fans for this historic occasion,” he said. “But there will be no ticket sales on the day so all the fans better turn up on time with their tickets to catch a slice of the action.”

More Information

Timeline for the Rebel Sport Super 14 pre-season game between the Hurricanes and the Blues to be held at the Mangatainoka RFC on Saturday, January 23, 2010.
12:00pm Gates open Mangatainoka RFC
1:00pm Curtain raiser:
Tui Invitation XV vs Mangatainoka RFC Invitation
3:00pm Hurricanes vs Blues
5:00pm After match speeches
5:15pm Bands on ground and beers
7.30 pm Close

In addition 17 community groups will be pitching in for their annual fund raiser – cooking all the food, parking cars, operating the bars, so the day will be a real community effort!

ENDS

© Scoop Media