Tasman boss happy with turnout for Super match at Lansdowne Park
Super Rugby could make a return to Marlborough in the next few years after the success of Friday afternoon's match at Lansdowne Park.
Around 5000 fans watched the Hurricanes dismantle the Crusaders 74-7 in an expansive pre-season encounter, leaving Tasman Rugby Union chief executive Tony Lewis happy with the crowd figure and the occasion.
Earlier in the week Lewis had expressed concern that only 2200 tickets had been pre-sold, suggesting the fixture may not return to Blenheim if the fans did not get behind it. Ultimately, 4000 tickets were pre-sold, with another 1000 walk-up fans coming in for the 4.30pm kick-off.
"We are very happy with how it went," said Lewis. "Four thousand pre-sold was great. The venue was great, an incredible atmosphere and the corporate tent idea we tried for the first time was very successful.
"From Tasman's point of view, we had seven players in the curtain raiser, four of five in the main match and we saw the Marlborough public come out in force to support it. We are rapt."
A frequent complaint throughout the lead-up was the early kick-off time, meaning many supporters had to leave work early to get to the ground. Lewis was aware of the situation but said his union's hands were tied.
"In a perfect world we would have a kick off at six but we were governed, and this will sound really bizarre, by Air New Zealand … there were no flights available out of Blenheim [after the game] … so they agreed to charter us a flight. It had to leave by a specific time … which meant it had to be a 4.30 kick off.
"We would love to have played the game slightly later, I think we would have got another 2000 in there, but that's life."
Lewis praised the work of the Marlborough District Council and Tasman RFU employee Martyn Vercoe for making the match possible, and thanked local businessmen Wayne Young and Peter Heagney who "made sure that the event was going nowhere but Blenheim".
The last Super Rugby match in Blenheim was in 2002 when the Crusaders met the Waratahs, but Lewis said the odds were good that Marlborough won't have to wait 14 years for another such experience. "From all the economic indicators [Lansdowne Park] is a good venue and we will certainly be putting up our hand in two years time asking to have that game again and Blenheim will be in with a real show."
The rival coaches were full of praise for the venue and the experience of playing in Marlborough.
Crusaders boss Todd Blackadder said, "The crowd got to see some fantastic football. It always feels like a privilege to play up here.
"We got really great support … it's just disappointing that we couldn't give them something to cheer about from a red and black point of view. But we appreciate all the support and hopefully we will be back again soon."
Hurricanes mentor Chris Boyd said his side loved coming to Marlborough. "Although I think a couple of the boys have decided they would rather go back on the ferry than the plane – it was a little bit bumpy coming over.
"Getting into these smaller places for pre-season is really good fun for everybody."
- Stuff
