The New Zealand Warriors’ last game of the year will take place in front of a packed house of 26,000 at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium as the team brings an end to the ‘COVID exile’ era.
As a way of saying thanks to the community for their support and creating a vibrant atmosphere, the club’s primary sponsor Vodafone bought up all remaining tickets to the clash between the Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans, giving them away to fans.
Despite the limit of two tickets per customer, over 6,500 tickets were snapped up quickly after they were released at 9am.
Club CEO Cameron George said the sell-out crowd was a deserved reward for the team and the best possible way to bring such a challenging period to an official end.
“It’s brilliant knowing the fans and players will experience being at a packed Mount Smart Stadium for the second time this season,” George said.
“We’re grateful to Vodafone for buying the remaining tickets. What they’ve done is tremendous.
“It not only ensures we have a full house, but it also means fans who wouldn’t normally be able to come to Mount Smart will be with us.
“It’s a great way to sign off on our exiled period in Australia and to look ahead to being back at home next year.”
Tickets for this year’s ‘homecoming’ games have been some of the fastest-selling in the club’s history, with the four games bringing nearly 90,000 rugby league-starved New Zealand fans through the gates.
After a disappointing campaign, the Warriors are staring down the barrel of their worst finish in the NRL since the competition’s birth in 1998 should they lose to the Titans.
While a win in front of a packed house could elevate them as high as 12th, a loss to the Gold Coast – who will have a spring in their step after beating Newcastle – would leave them in 15th place.
