The Warriors are hoping for a record crowd at Eden Park for their Anzac Round fixture, with the club pushing to turn the commemorative match into one of the biggest days on its calendar.
Fans pack Eden Park for a Warriors NRL fixture.
The Warriors are hoping for a record crowd at Eden Park for their Anzac Round fixture, with the club pushing to turn the commemorative match into one of the biggest days on its calendar.
Anzac Round has become a fixed point in the rugby league season on both sides of the Tasman, pairing remembrance with one of the sport's better-attended weekends. For the Warriors, playing at Eden Park rather than their usual Mt Smart home gives the club the seating capacity to chase an attendance mark.
Club officials have pointed to strong early ticket movement and a wider Auckland catchment as reasons for optimism. A large crowd would also strengthen the case for continuing to schedule marquee Warriors fixtures at the larger venue.
Beyond the numbers, the occasion carries weight for players and supporters. The pre-match commemoration, with its service personnel, wreaths and silence, has become a part of the match-day experience that many fans say they would not miss.
A record turnout would cap a period of sustained growth in the club's membership and match-day support.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand chief executive Edward Rennell says the sport is facing a sobering final week, as New Zealand prepares to end commercial greyhound racing from Saturday.
Karin Burger and the Silver Ferns have passed their first major Commonwealth Games test in Glasgow, beating Jamaica 53-48 and ending a difficult run against the Sunshine Girls.
All Blacks assistant coach Tana Umaga says Ireland will arrive at Eden Park without fear next Saturday, putting New Zealand's long unbeaten run at the ground under a sharper spotlight.