Latest news with #ColinMansbridge
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Chiefs fans banned from bringing cow bells to Super Rugby final
sport life and society 29 minutes ago Chiefs fans have been told that cow bells are not welcome at the Super Rugby Pacific final in Christchurch on Saturday. The Waikato supporters are known for enthusiastically ringing the metal bells that were traditionally tied around cows necks. But the Crusaders have warned fans metal bells will be confiscated at the gate at Apollo Project stadium, and they may be melted down. Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge spoke to Lisa Owen.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
'Leave them at home': Cowbells a no-no at Super Rugby Pacific final
Photo: Photosport The Crusaders don't want any Chiefs fans to bring cowbells to the Super Rugby Pacific final in Christchurch on Saturday. The final is set up as the perfect crescendo to a compelling 2025 season, with the Chiefs, the number one ranked team in the round robin and second ranked Crusaders to duke it out. The Crusaders have never lost a playoff match. Since Super Rugby began in 1996, they've gone unbeaten in 31 home finals and playoff games across three decades. For the last 14 years, the 17,000-capacity Apollo Projects stadium has hosted the Crusaders but the franchise is set to move to the much bigger One New Zealand Te Kaha Stadium, when it opens next year. In a LinkedIn post, Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said Chiefs fans were welcome, but not their noisy cowbells. "There's also the fact that it's tight. It's not FMG (Farmers Mutual Group) Stadium or Eden Park, New Zealand. It's tight. It's compact and there's just enough room to wave a really thin flag. There ain't no room to swing a bloody big cowbell and take out the person sitting in the seat beside you. "This is going to be a game for the ages. It's going to be a game for fans to enjoy. All Chiefs Rugby Club fans are hugely welcome to come and enjoy the venue." "No cowbells. "I'll be asking Venues Ōtautahi to melt them down at the gate. So, seriously, leave them at home!" Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- 1News
'Melt them at the gate': Cowbells banned for Chiefs-Crusaders final
Officials have rung the bell on cowbells at Christchurch, banning them ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs this Saturday. The cowbell is synonymous with Waikato rugby, but Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said the club had decided to ban the noisemakers at the venue to ensure the safety of spectators. 'We have made the decision to ban cowbells at Apollo Projects Stadium for the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs to ensure all fans are able to come to the Stadium on Saturday night and enjoy a great game of rugby where everyone is safe," Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said in a statement. In a Linkedin post, Mansbridge said the 17,100-person-capacity Apollo Projects Stadium was "tight" and "compact", with "just enough room to wave a really thin flag". "There ain't no room to swing a bloody big cowbell and take out the person sitting in the seat beside you." ADVERTISEMENT He said security would conduct thorough bag checks on entry and that cowbells would either be requested to be returned to vehicles or held in a safe location until after the match. "I'll be asking Venues Ōtautahi to melt them down at the gate, so, seriously, leave them at home," he joked. Saturday's final will be the last rugby final hosted at Apollo Projects Stadium after 14 years as the Crusaders' home ground. Mansfield said it would be a "game for the ages". "All Chiefs Rugby Club fans are hugely welcome to come and enjoy the venue. No cowbells." The team will move to the new One New Zealand Stadium next year. The Garden City's largest construction project broke ground in April 2022 and is expected to be completed in April 2026. ADVERTISEMENT The multi-use arena will have capacity for a crowd of 30,000 (25,000 permanent seats and room for 5000 more) for sports matches and up to 37,300 when in concert mode.
