Eden Park boss Nick Sautner is confident the Blues will play the majority of their home games at the stadium next year as usual after the venue was noticeably left off the schedule released by the franchise today.
The Blues will kick off their season by hosting the Fijian Drua on Saturday, February 24 at Whangārei’s Semenoff Stadium, adding in a statement that their Auckland venue or venues had yet to be confirmed.
Other venues in the mix are understood to be North Harbour’s QBE Stadium or Mount Smart Stadium, the home of the Warriors, but it would be a hugely controversial move for the Blues to opt to play away from Eden Park, their home since the start of the competition in 1996.
Apart from anything else, their members, who pay for expensive hospitality packages and have come to expect a certain level of comfort, would likely object strongly to anything but the status quo.
In a statement, Blues chief executive Andrew Hore said the franchise was in the final stages of finalising the venues for its Auckland-based fixtures.
“We want to provide our fans with the best possible experience for each home match in 2024,” he said.
“There’s plenty to consider when making venue decisions and we’re hoping to be in a position to confirm our remaining venues in the coming weeks to ensure members and fans plenty of time to get excited for the coming season.”
It could be that this is the first salvo in a negotiation battle by the Blues and that Hore is seeking leverage in terms of a lower rental – the Blues pay for the right to play at Eden Park.
Sautner told 1News in a statement that discussions were ongoing.
“Given the venue’s FIFA Women’s World Cup commitments we are scheduled to meet next week with the Blues to further discuss planning for 2024,” Sautner said.
“We are confident the Blues will continue to call Eden Park their home. We regularly meet with the CEOs of Auckland Rugby, Auckland Cricket, and Blues Rugby to discuss their plans and Super Rugby dates have been held over the 2024–2026 seasons.”
The Blues, who will be coached by Vern Cotter, Leon MacDonald’s replacement, will host the Crusaders in Auckland on March 23 after the southerners thrashed them in this year’s semifinal before going on to beat the Chiefs in the grand final, and have a late afternoon kick-off against the Hurricanes in May.
The Crusaders will kick off their season and new coach Rob Penney’s reign with a match against the Chiefs in Hamilton on February 23.
The Hurricanes have an away game against the Western Force, with the Highlanders hosting Moana Pasifika.
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