Māori All Blacks v Scotland brings sporting buzz to Whangārei
The gates at Semenoff Stadium open at 12.30pm with kick-off in the Māori All Blacks versus Scotland clash due at 3.35pm.
The double-header gets underway at 1.05pm when the Black Ferns take on the Black Ferns XV.
It's the first time in 25 years the Māori All Blacks and Scotland have met in Whangārei.
It's also the city's biggest game since New Zealand met Scotland in pool play of the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup, which was held in October 2022 due to the Covid pandemic.
ADVERTISEMENT
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said more than 9000 tickets had been sold as of Friday, with the final number expected to top 10,000.
He said the grandstand had sold out but there was still room on the embankments.
"The clash of these two nations, it hasn't happened in Whangārei for 25 years. It's going to be an epic day," he said.
The influx of visitors would also mean a "huge" economic boost for the city, in mid-winter when it was most needed.
"Let's put this way, I don't think there's a spare bedroom available in any of the hotels."
Cocurullo said excitement about the match was heightened by the Whangārei District's strong Māori and Scottish heritage.
Large numbers of Scots settled at Whangārei Heads and in Waipū in the mid-19th century, travelling from their homeland via the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cocurullo was also excited about the Black Ferns versus Black Ferns XV opener, which he said would help decide who ended up playing for New Zealand in upcoming international matches.
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leah McKerrow said the city was already buzzing on Friday, and she had spotted many supporters on the streets clad in traditional Scottish kilts.
"The more we can encourage sports, entertainment and arts events into our region, the better for our economy ... anything like this is an opportunity for small businesses to pick up the extra volume of people that are around," she said.
Whangārei hotels and motels RNZ spoke to on Friday were booked out and were still fielding phone calls from out-of-towners hoping to stay for the weekend.
The Settlers Hotel, on Hatea Drive near the city centre, had been fully booked by the Scottish team.
Pubs and cafes were also girding themselves for a big weekend.
Rob Lang, of the Judge House of Ale on Walton Street, said his establishment had embraced the game by bringing in a Scottish-themed menu and decorating the bar with Scottish paraphernalia.
ADVERTISEMENT
He had brought in extra staff to deal with the expected game-night crowd.
Special menu items included mince and tatties (stewed mince with mashed potato) and "stovies" (a dish made with potatoes, onions, roast meat and beef dripping) as well as some New Zealand favourites such as ika mata (raw fish salad) and snapper burgers with frybread.
Lang was hopeful of hosting the Scots at some point, after the team's selectors dropped in on Thursday night to check out the premises.
rnz.co.nz
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Stampede aim to maintain grip
The Stampede are not about to let their Dunedin rivals sweep in and knock them out of contention on their home ice. The Queenstown-based team have dominated the New Zealand Ice Hockey League for the past decade. They won back-to-back-to-back titles between 2015 and 2017. The West Auckland Admirals claimed the crown in 2018, but the Stampede were back on top the following season. Covid wiped out the 2020 and 2021 season. Since then, they have won another three titles. They host the Dunedin Thunder in playoff games tonight and tomorrow, and they will start as favourites. But this year's league has been closer than ever. Just four points separate the top four teams, and the Thunder and Stampede split their series 1-1 in Queenstown earlier this month. That fact is not lost on Stampede coach Cam Frear. "This is the tightest the competition's ever been," he said. "Four teams out of the five had the potential to come first or second with one game to go. "It's exciting for fans. It's not great for the heart when you're a coach." The Thunder beat the Stampede 7-5 in Queenstown on July 18, but lost 6-3 the following night. Frear said his side had learned a lot from that encounter. "That first game was one of those games where you let it slip through your fingers. "We had the lead going into the last period. "But the Phoenix Thunder's a dangerous team. If you give them an opportunity to be in the offensive zone, they'll capitalise. "With goal-scorers like Chris Eaden, Cole Beckstead and Ian Audas, they are offensively a very dangerous team if you're not focused in on them." Collectively, that trio have slotted 37 goals for the Thunder. Beckstead has also registered 29 assists — the most this season — and is the competition's leading scorer with 41 points. His nearest rival is Stampede star Colin McIntosh. He is sitting on 40 points. Fans may be denied seeing the pair go head-to-head as McIntosh recently returned to Canada for personal reasons, and it is unclear whether he will be back in time to participate in the semifinals. The Stampede will lean more heavily on Nolan Ross if McIntosh does not make it back. He is the competition's leading goal-scorer, with 20. The Stampede have significantly more playoff experience and the home ice advantage. "The ice surface in Queenstown's a lot smaller, which kind of suits more of our physical style where, you know, there's not a lot of room to move. "So you've got to make decisions quite quickly. "We also have probably the loudest fans in the country. So having them there and being that sixth and seventh man is huge for us." The West Auckland Admirals and the Botany Swarm will meet in the other semifinal series.
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Scoop
Groundbreaking Report Reveals The State Of Community Sport In New Zealand
A landmark new report titled 'Stronger Communities Through Sport' has just been released. It's the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the role that sport clubs play in New Zealand's community life. The result of seven years of research, the pioneering report draws on findings from the National Sport Club Survey (NSCS), a joint initiative of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc. (NZASA) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT). The report provides a totally unprecedented insight into the challenges, opportunities, and shifting landscape of grassroots sport in New Zealand from 2018 to 2024. From declining volunteer numbers to evolving partnerships and the impact of legislative reform, the findings presented in the report are both sobering and inspiring. Important statistics from the report include: • Sport club membership has rebounded by 12% since its pandemic low in 2021. • Volunteer numbers have dropped by 28% since 2018—placing increasing pressure on club and coaches. • Only 36% of clubs report gender-balanced governance, highlighting ongoing equity challenges. • 56% of clubs now have formal partnerships with schools, signalling closer alignment between education and community sport. • 72% of clubs are concerned about long-term financial sustainability, with many relying on just one or two core funders. • Climate resilience is emerging as a key theme, with nearly one in five clubs reporting disruption from extreme weather events in the past two years. 'This is the first time we've had such an accurate, long-term dataset covering the actual experience of New Zealand's sport clubs,' said NZASA Chair Gordon Noble-Campbell. 'These sport clubs are the beating heart of our communities providing important social benefits, not only to sport. This significant report provides important, data-driven insights that will inform future policy, funding, and support across the entire sector. This is a game-changer for community sport.' The report also addresses underrepresentation in club leadership, emerging sponsorship strategies, and the need for inclusive access across all demographics. It also reflects the sector's remarkable resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and shows clear areas for innovation, investment, and reform. Already being shared and read nationally and internationally, Stronger Communities Through Sport is certain to inspire, inform and shape discussion across community sport, education, health, and local government. The NZASA encourages anyone involved in sport, including volunteers, players, administrators, and supporters, to download the report and reflect on how its insights can help build a stronger, more inclusive sporting future for all New Zealanders, and in communities across the world.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Black Ferns halfbacks headline tight positional battles ahead of Rugby World Cup defence
New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year Jorja Miller speaks about transferring to the Black Ferns from the sevens side and her future goals. Video / Alyse Wright Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. With the squad tasked with defending the World Cup in England now named, the Black Ferns are making sure all bases are covered. A 33-strong team was announced late last week, with the World Cup set to begin in late August. It was a squad with big variations in experience. Among them, 14 were named for their first World Cup campaign – including six players to feature in three tests or fewer – while others head into their third and fourth. It's a balance that will benefit the side in the quest to hoist the biggest prize in the sport for a seventh time, assistant coach Tony Christie said. 'I think we did a really good job of getting that balance right between the experience. We've got girls here who [have] won pinnacle events, whether it be World Cups or gold medalists, and then we've got some young players with some real flair and a real high-risk attitude which we love in this team,' he said.
