Wairarapa rugby fans, still basking in the euphoria of the World Cup win, are gearing up for another great contest right on their doorstep.
Tickets for the pre-season Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Crusaders to be held at the Mangatainoka rugby ground on February 11, alongside TuiBrewery in Neil Symonds' paddock, are selling steadily and one young Crusader in particular is looking forward to returning to his old stomping ground.
Luke Whitelock, 20, is the younger brother of the formidable Canterbury trio of George, Adam and Sam Whitelock and like his brothers grew up on a dairy farm about 30 minutes out of Mangatainoka.
The 1.90m loose forward has told the pre-season game organisers he is looking forward to coming back to where his rugby career began.
"I think it will be great coming back and playing there.
"It will be a good opportunity to take Super Rugby back to grassroots.
"I've heard the last two games at Mangatainoka have been a real success and I am looking forward to being part of it this time round."
Whitelock is an old boy of Feilding Area High School and after making his early mark on the rugby field in Manawatu he headed south to study commerce at Canterbury University, and to further his burgeoning rugby career.
He made his debut for Canterbury last season against Wellington and played a further two games for the province during last season's campaign.
Whitelock also captained the New Zealand side to victory at the Junior World Cup held in Italy. The Mangatainoka game is expected to attract up to 8000 visitors to the region.
Organisers are confident there will be enough temporary scaffolding to cater for all ticket-holders and already less than 1000 tickets are available for sale.
The day is not limited to rugby only as there is an array of pre-game and post-game entertainment and also a line-up of guest speakers.
Tui has teamed up with key match day sponsors and is also offering transport deals to and from the game in conjunction with Tranzit Coachlines and Nimons HB.
