Mangatainoka for Canes clash

It's official - the tiny Mangatainoka Rugby Football Club in northern Wairarapa is to host the big boys of Super 14 rugby when the Hurricanes take on the Auckland Blues at Wellington Anniversary weekend.
The pre-season clash, which is sure to go down in rugby folklore, is the brainchild of Tui commercial manager Nick Rogers who reckons staging the match in the hub of Hurricanes country will revitalise the national game by bringing it back to the heartland.
"It's rural, it's community and it's novel - the city boys won't know what hit them, the bottom of the changing rooms will be grass and the showers'll be cold," Mr Rogers said.
Mangatainoka sheep and beef farmer Neil "Skin" Symonds leases the Mangatainoka domain and has been a Hurricanes season ticket holder since the days when the life-threatening southerly chilled punters at Athletic Park.
"It's going to be awesome playing the JAFAs in my own back yard," Mr Symonds said.
The curtain raiser will be between a NZ Army side and an invitational XV with the army boys also confirmed as security - both the pre-match game and the main event will be run by the Mangatainoka Domain and Mangatainoka Hall Board.
Post match events will be hosted at the nearby Tui Brewery while community groups will operate all possible facilities during the day including food stalls, bars, clean up and car parking.
Mr Rogers has confirmed rugby legend Colin Meads as a speaker and local All Black hero Brian Lochore has been approached to say a few words as well.
"The ground's recently refurbished grandstand holds around 120 people and has sold out faster than Toast Martinborough but a combined local effort will see the bulk of the 6500 ticket holders watching the match in true grassroots rugby style," he said.
Builders, contractors and earthmovers are about to begin levelling the field "removing ruts dug by sheep hoofs - not rugby sprigs - and building temporary grandstands to rival those big union projects that are underway for the Rugby World Cup," Mr Rogers said.
"Why are we doing this? I ask myself the same question every day but I know it will be rewarding. Yes it will take some serious organising but why not? Life is short - this will be history.
"Mangatainoka is strategically placed in the centre of Hurricanes territory - within an hours drive you have Masterton/Palmerston North/Wanganui, within two hours you have the twin Hawke's Bay cities and Wellington. This is the heart of Hurricanes country. This game will also allow the wider rugby community easy access to their team and their players - as Manawatu and Hawke's Bay will both be supplying key note players to the Hurricanes this year."
Mr Rogers said Tui would be happy to break even on the event and said any profits will go towards developing Wairarapa Bush rugby.
 
*5500 general admission tickets for the Saturday January 23 fixture go on sale from midday Wednesday and can be purchased for $25 from principal supporters PGG Wrightson's stores in Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and Wanganui. Tickets can also be bought from the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Football Union and Tui's Mangatainoka HQ or from the brewery website www.tui.co.nz. Children under 10 are admitted free.