The All Blacks perform the haka before the New Zealand and Australia rugby test match at Eden Park in 2021. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The All Blacks perform the haka before the New Zealand and Australia rugby test match at Eden Park in 2021. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Eden Park will be transformed into a sports-lover's paradise this weekend - with up to 100,000 fans expected to cheer on some of New Zealand's top sportsmen and women in two different footy codes.
The stadium will be all about rugby this afternoon and tonight, hosting the Black Ferns v Japan / All Blacks v Wallabies double header. Then on Sunday it will host the All Whites v Socceroos.
The venue is a sell-out for the two tests which are crucial for both teams wearing the silver fern.
It is a key Rugby World Cup build-up match for the Wayne Smith-coached Black Ferns.
And the All Blacks can secure the Rugby Championship if they beat the Wallabies, seven days on from the ill-tempered clash between the two teams in Melbourne, which the All Blacks narrowly won.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said the preparations had been "massive" for the epic weekend.
Gates open at 3.30pm today, with the Black Ferns playing at 4.30pm, followed by the Bledisloe Cup clash at 7.05pm. On Sunday, the gates open at 2.30pm ahead of the 4pm kick-off between the All Whites and Australia.
"We encourage people to get there early," Sautner said.
It's no small feat to prepare the pitch for two rugby games and an international football game – but Sautner told the Weekend Herald the park will be ready for anything.
"We will have around 1100 hospitality staff working over the weekend, and 285 security staff will be onsite."
With tens of thousands of people expected through the gates, the team at Eden Park have spent the past two weeks setting up food and beverage stations, with four truck-and-trailer loads of drinks delivered and daily food deliveries.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner. Photo / Jason Oxenham
With around 5 to 10 per cent of attendees coming from over the ditch, it's also expected to be massive for surrounding businesses.
"The impact this blockbuster weekend has on the local economy, including businesses and hospitality is undeniable," said Sautner.
Heart of the City chief executive Steve Armitage told the Herald the doubleheader will no doubt bring people into the city in droves.
"We expect that this will be one of the bigger weekends the city has seen post-Covid and should result in a good uptick in revenue," he said.
"We know that people like to warm up or conduct their post-event debriefs in the city, and there will always be a good number of people who come in to watch the match at our hospitality venues."
Even the weather will be turning out for the games, Metservice meteorologist Peter Little said.
There will be scattered showers during the day on Saturday but these are expected to clear into the evening. Sunday will be the warmest day of the long weekend with an anticipated temperature of 20C.
While tickets to the Black Ferns and All Blacks double-header on Saturday were sold out, there are still some tickets available for the All Whites vs Socceroos on Sunday.
And there's also some cracking sporting action for those not wanting to leave the comfort of their sofas over the weekend.
Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker is back in the ring on Sunday morning, taking on fellow highly-ranked heavyweight Joe Joyce for the WBO interim heavyweight title.
Rugby and football goals side by side in preparation for the weekend. Photo / Eden Park
The bout against Joyce is one that has many fans and pundits intrigued. While Parker has a clear advantage in his speed and movement, Joyce has a sizeable reach advantage and applies pressure by moving forward behind his jab.
The 37-year-old comes into the fight undefeated in 14 professional bouts, while Parker comes in with a 30-2 record and the underdog tag.
A win this weekend will put Parker right back in line for a world title shot, looking to return to the lofty heights he reached in 2016 when he claimed the WBO belt.
And this morning tennis superstar Roger Federer will play his final ATP match after he announced his retirement this week.
"I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it's time to end my competitive career," he wrote on Twitter.
The 20-time grand slam champion is teaming up with rival Raphael Nadal, who holds 22 titles, to represent Team Europe in the Laver Cup doubles match against Team World's Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in the UK.
In announcing his retirement, Federer, 41, said his age had caught up with him. He has had three knee operations in the last two years and his last competitive game was a quarter-final defeat to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon last year.
The Swiss maestro is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and his farewell match starts at 7:30am NZ time and will be shown on Sky.
