Ticket rush to see Canes, Crusaders

Up to 8000 visitors are expected to flock to Mangatainoka for the Hurricanes-Crusaders pre-season Super 15 clash on Saturday, February 11.

That's the confident prediction from major sponsors Tui Brewery, whose commercial manager Nick Rogers reports 3900 of the available tickets have already been snapped up by fans around the country.

In fact, so enthusiastic has been the response ticket sales are already tracking well ahead of this year's sell-out event when the Hurricanes did battle with the Chiefs.

Rogers has noticed a vast increase in group bookings from outside the district, especially Wellington and Christchurch, the headquarters of the respective combatants.

Like the previous two Super Rugby games held at Mangatainoka, the February 11 match will be played in a unique setting on a bare paddock on Neil Symond's farm and arrangements have already been made for enough temporary seating to accommodate all ticket holders.

Hurricanes commercial manager Sam Rossiter-Stead, from Greytown, says the game will be an excellent way for the new-look side to kick off their season.

"I know how much the players are looking forward to the game and they will be very keen to put on a real show in front of what will hopefully be our third full house for a pre-season match at Mangatainoka," Rossiter-Stead said.

The Crusaders are, of course, New Zealand's most successful Super Rugby side.

They made it all the way to the finals this year despite the fact they were without a home ground as a result of the damage caused by the Christchurch earthquake.

Just how many - if any - of their All Blacks the Hurricanes and Crusaders will play at Mangatainoka remains to be seen but it would not surprise if at least some of them took the chance to have a hit-out.

The Crusaders have no fewer than 10 2011 Rugby World Cup squad members in their Super 15 team - Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Israel Dagg, Andy Ellis, Corey Flynn, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, Zac Guildford, Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock. The Hurricanes are poor relations by comparison, having just three - Cory Jane, Conrad Smith and Victor Vito.

Remarkably, Sam Whitelock is one of four brothers in the Crusaders squad, being joined by George, Adam and Luke.

For the Crusaders and the Canes, the Mangatainoka match will be their second pre-season game heading into the 2012 season.

First up, the Crusaders face the Highlanders at Rugby Park in Greymouth on February 3 and the Canes play the Blues in Whangarei on February 4.

The 2012 Super rugby season officially gets under way on February 24, when the Blues host the Crusaders at Eden Park.