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Mahurangi Rugby Club is hosting a Super Rugby pre-season match between the Blues and the Hurricanes on Saturday, February 5.
The Waitangi Weekend fixture is expected to draw large crowds with holidaymakers from Auckland and Northland joining local supporters.
Blues head coach Leon MacDonald says it will also be the only pre-season match played in the Auckland region.
He says both teams are likely to involve all of their players as they prepare for next year’s Super Rugby Pacific competition, which starts on February 18.
The Blues squad features several current and former All Blacks including Beauden Barrett, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Akira Loane, Dalton Papalii and Hoskins Sotutu, as well as Northland union forward Josh Goodhue.
Mahurangi Rugby Club is planning a full day of activities, dubbing the day “footy fest”. There will be live music, local food, “fans on field” and a kid zone.
There will also be a Wahu Little Blues Ripper tournament at half-time and a curtain-raiser between North Harbour and the Barbarians.
The Blues also played the Hurricanes at Mahurangi in 2018, which drew major crowds.
Blues coach MacDonald said the Mahurangi Rugby Club was ideally located on the boundary between North Harbour and Northland.
“The facilities and field are very good and we hope we can attract as much support in Mahurangi as we did four years ago,” he said.
Admission is $5 for adults or a family pass for $20. Gates open at 12 noon and kick off is 1.35pm. Info: www.blues.rugby.
