Few cracks with new bums on seats

The idea of getting more bums on seats with a new grandstand at Napier's McLean Park was a major success on Saturday, even if a few were moved because the seats were broken.
The Graeme Lowe Stand's opening day hiccup was confirmed by Napier City Council sports facility manager Peter Grant, who said two seats were faulty.
``I haven't seen the seats yet,'' Mr Grant said, ``so I'm not too sure what the problem was. But we will be checking them out and getting it sorted.''
It was quickly solved on Saturday as the two spectators and friends, totalling about 11 people, were moved to seating in one of the corporate areas, apparently in time for the kick-off, which was preceded by Mayor Barbara Arnott's formal opening of the 4250-seat stand.
The opening included a release of 350 black and white balloons by 7-year-old Hunter Lowe, a grandson of the benefactor.
``It was a really good opening, capped off by the Hawke's Bay win,'' Mr Grant said. ``Of course there would be one or two things which weren't quite right, but we'll work on them.''
Earlier, in the stand's Corporate Lounge No 2, the council hosted sponsors and others who had helped with the $13 million redevelopment of the park.
That included refurbishment of the Centennial Hall and its relaunching as the Rodney Green Centennial Events Centre, demolition of the McKenzie Stand and building of the new stand, and new lighting. This will be used for the first time in the Magpies' match against Wellington next Saturday.
Mr Lowe and Mr Green had each given $1 million to the project, which had helped clinch two 2011 Rugby World Cup games.
Mrs Arnott and McLean Park Trust chairman Ross Bramwell said the park had been recreated as the best multi-use sports stadium in New Zealand. The thank-yous spread across a range of supporters, including MPs who helped convince the Labour Government to contribute $2.9 million through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to the most recent fillip, a deposit of $250,000 on Friday from the Hawke's Bay-based Infinity Foundation.
Hawke's Bay's substantial 47-13 win over Auckland reinforced the ground's stature and record of historic moments.
Rugby's very first national provincial championship first division game was played at the park, between Hawke's Bay and Auckland, and Saturday's was the first competition match between the two unions to be won by Hawke's Bay.
In the intervening years, McLean Park was scene of New Zealand's first home cricket test outside the four main centres (against Pakistan in 1979), and in 1996 hosted New Zealand's first floodlit internationals _ a one-day cricket match against Zimbabwe and the All Blacks Tri-Nations warm-up against Manu Samoa.