The TV stars, the Warriors & the party that set tongues wagging

Last Friday night I played hostess at the Warriors with a Spy Ladies' Night party for 120 of my favourite female friends.

Though, a few close male pals sneaked into the bash and under the radar, and even more swarmed into the party after the match. I guess it's not surprising, especially when they heard there was a room full of women and a bar stocked with booze.

Last weekend all NRL matches across Australia and New Zealand honoured females. The games were played with pink balls, breast cancer charities were supported, and best-dressed competitions were held at the games. But at the Spy lounge, we held our own ladies' night tribute the only way we know how: with cocktails, canapés and manicures.

Bubbly Alix Bushnell from Go Girls was seen snapping it up on the dance floor, alongside the effervescent Kimberley Crossman from Shorty St. She was later seen locking lips with her hunky beau, radio star Mark Dye from ZM.

Renee Wright was also looking gorgeous and glam and locking lips with her fiance, Waikato man Charlie Waide. That was before I almost turfed him and his mates out in a case of mistaken identity.

Well, when four blokes walk into a girls-only party and refuse to give their names, something smells fishy. Charlie cried out, "But I know Renee Wright!" "We all do honey," I said.

Luckily the glamazon One News weathergirl came over to save the day and smacked a big kiss on her man's cheek. He really did know Renee Wright. Blonde socialite Gilda Kirkpatrick looked uber cool in a Louis Vuitton woolly hat and scarf, though she lost her cool when she exchanged terse words with the DJ on the decks - Kieran Bell from ZM - when he didn't play the song she wanted. She wasn't the only blonde causing ripples.

A flaxen-haired lovely from TV3 got utterly inebriated after a few too many cocktails. With names like 'Guess Who, Don't Screw' and 'Celebrity Squeeze', the customised cocktails from the geniuses at Sale St bar were going down like lolly water. Her MediaWorks colleague Jay-Jay Feeney was left to clean up her mess.

My friends from TVNZ came out in force. More than 20 faces from the state broadcaster turned up to party the night away. So too did former TVNZ darling Susan Wood, who roped in her Warriors-mad son Matt to act as chauffeur. He was thrilled when three sweaty, hunky Warriors - Wade McKinnon, Lance Hohaia and Ben Matulino - came to the party straight after the game.

So were the ladies! Fiona Lomu arrived after the game too. She gate-crashed the party with Wayne Scurrah and his posse, though she didn't seem too happy to see me when I welcomed her in.

In fact, I got the big cold shoulder from Jonah's ex. Luckily Hollie Smith and Shavaughn Ruakere were warm and bubbly, though there's no meat on their bones. They're drop-dead gorgeous but positively vanishing away with super svelte figures.

In the best-dressed stakes, One News' Karen Olsen left the miserable weather behind and came sporting a sexy sequin dress with a plunging neckline and gorgeous strappy shoes.

Denise L'Estrange-Corbet rang before the party asking about the dress code. She mustn't have heard "casual", because the famous fashion designer came garbed in dramatic diamantes - to the league! And stylist to the stars, Michiko Hughes, wore killer heels and sequin leggings.

Click here to see photos of the party.

The most bizarre behaviour

* Aja Rock's lone running-woman dance raised a few eyebrows. Perhaps she was showing off her new red Nike high-tops.

* The TV3 blonde who projectile vomited not once, but thrice; including over the stilettos of some media darlings who were queuing for the bathrooms, became the topic du noir. Oh dear.

* Though, who was the person who placed the inebriated blonde on a bar stool of which she slipped off from unceremoniously and smacked on the floor? Luckily her peeps from MediaWorks took her home to bed.

The most surprising guests

* Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah briefly gate-crashed the girls-only party early in the night with Vodafone CEO Russell Stanners. He came back again after the match with more troops, including his pretty wife Laura, ex-WAG Fiona Lomu and Warriors director of football John Hart. Scurrah's posse were the last to leave, turning out the lights in the wee hours of the morning.

* We also got a surprising visit from Lieutenant Colonel James Blackwell, the head of the SAS in the NZ Defence Force. He arrived with his wife and some pals. While it was a pleasure to host league players and legends, plus TV stars and celebs, it was extra cool to play hostess to members of the SAS. Pity they wouldn't pose for pics.

* Former league legends Richie Barnett and Tawera Nikau were also a pleasant surprise. They sneaked into the Spy party after their commentating duties at the game were over.

 Rachel Glucina

Pictured above: Ricardo Simich, Gilda Kirkpatrick and Aja Rock. Photo / Norrie Montgomery