Far North Mayor Wayne Brown is facing Saturday's rugby clash at Kerikeri Domain with a mixture of excitement and dread.
Excitement, because of the TV exposure and business opportunities for the Far North.
Dread, because minutes before the game he will be pushed out of a plane at 4000m.
The Northland vs Auckland
clash is the region's first Air New Zealand Cup match to be played outside Whangarei since 1976.
The pre-match entertainment will include a Te Rarawa vs Moerewa curtain-raiser, live music, hip hop dancing - and a skydiving demonstration involving the outspoken mayor.
A nervous Mr Brown said the parachute jump, his first, was weather dependent.
"Subject to weather and me not completely losing my nerve, it's all go ... I did see the safety video, and I'm wishing I hadn't."
The owner of Kerikeri airport-based Skydive Zone, Gavin Horrell, hatched the plan and is covering the costs.
Mr Horrell was quick to quash rumours that people had been queuing up offering to pack Mr Brown's parachute. "Besides, I don't want to destroy our 100 per cent safety record," he quipped.
Mr Brown would be jumping in tandem with instructor Brent Suckling, along with two or three other skydivers, just after 2.15pm in the brief window before players came on to the field.
Landing on the domain was unlikely to pose any problems because skydivers were used to landing on much smaller targets.
Mr Horrell said he had offered to put on the stunt to promote skydiving in Northland, as well as his own business.
Mr Brown said he was pleased to see Kerikeri's business community getting behind the day and the "genuine feeling of positiveness" on the decorated main street.
A few people had raised concerns about the financial risk of putting on the game, but the Far North stood to gain a "big economic payback".
Mr Brown also said a good turnout would help prove to rugby officials that the game's future was in rural areas, not the big cities.
"Only 5000 people turned out for the Wellington vs Otago Ranfurly Shield match in Wellington ... we'll get more than that."
