Super Rugby Aupiki franchise Matatū has made a bold decision for the host of their first-ever home game, downsizing their venue in response to the huge success of the recent Rugby World Cup.
The fixture will be a first for the franchise which represents both the Crusaders and Highlanders regions despite Super Rugby Aupiki entering its second season as the inaugural tournament was held in a Covid-19 bubble system in Hamilton this year.
Despite this, Matatū announced this afternoon their first game in Christchurch - round two against Hurricanes Poua on March 4 next year - has been moved from Orangetheory Stadium to Ngā Puna Wai.
Orangetheory Stadium, which is the home of the Crusaders and also hosted the Black Ferns earlier this year in their build-up to the World Cup, has a capacity of 18,000 people.
In contrast, Ngā Puna Wai is much, much smaller with just 550 people able to be seated in the complex's grandstand which until now has been used predominantly by Canterbury Rugby League.
A Matatū spokesperson told 1News the embankments at the venue would also be used and "other options" were being explored as they target 3500 fans for the match.
Matatū General Manager Sarah Munro said this afternoon management made the decision to change venues to "create a more intimate and engaged fan experience, with the opportunity to promote a sellout game".
"We’re heading into our second ever season of Super Rugby Aupiki with a team and a fanbase that are still learning who we are," she said.
"Our 2022 season was so heavily impacted by Covid, the home fans here in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) and the wider Te Waka O Aoraki (South Island) never got the chance to see our girls in action."
As part of their decision-making, the club said they spoke to UK clubs who had successfully built up crowds for their own games and learned creating opportunities for continued demand was an important factor.
“Their advice was to choose a venue that we felt confident in selling out to create atmosphere and an appetite to keep coming back," Munro said.
Munro added the venue change was backed by the crowds they saw at the Rugby World Cup where the Black Ferns sold out 50,000-seat Eden Park for both their semifinal against France and final against England.
While the crowd sizes were impressive, the overall experience is what stood out to the southern franchise.
“Women’s rugby is experiencing a real surge in popularity which is so awesome, and it’s our job to keep that wave going and create the best fan experience we can," Munro said.
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