The Hurricanes have welcomed the afternoon kick-off for their Super Rugby Pacific semifinal against the Chiefs on Saturday in what is a rare move by New Zealand Rugby and Sanzar to avoid a clash with the resurgent Warriors.
The Hurricanes will kick off at 4.35pm, with the Warriors v Storm match at Mt Smart Stadium set to start at 7.30pm.
New Zealand Rugby and Sanzar have been criticised recently for not being flexible enough over their scheduling — particularly when kick-off times clash with the Warriors — and it appears the powers-that-be have listened.
When asked to comment, NZ Rugby referred 1News to Super Rugby tournament director Matt Barlow, who said: "Super Rugby Pacific matches scheduled in the afternoon slot have been working well for the clubs, with good fan turn outs across the season and they’re family-friendly.
"The finals schedule has some flexibility around time slots, so we looked at all sporting action taking place across the weekend to ensure we’re giving fans the opportunity to enjoy as much sport as possible.
"This will be the first home semi-final for the Hurricanes since 2016, we look forward to seeing all fans making the most of the occasion this Saturday afternoon at 4.35PM against the Chiefs."
The Hurricanes also had a 4.35pm kick-off for their 47-20 quarter-final victory against the Rebels last Saturday but that was to avoid a clash with other Super Rugby playoff games.
The Blues will play their semifinal against the Brumbies at 7.05pm on Friday at Eden Park.
Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said, as the top seeds, his franchise had the option of picking Friday night or Saturday afternoon for their quarter-final slot last weekend and had no hesitation in choosing the latter.
Lee said this week Sanzar decided the top qualifier should fill the Saturday afternoon slot and "it's absolutely what we would have picked. It’s great for the fans, so it’s a simple decision.
"If the game is at 7pm, it’s harder for families to come along and get kids home to bed. Wellington Rugby are doing everything they can to bring club rugby forward... our fans tell us that kick-off [time] is appealing for families – it means you can kick on and go out for dinner afterwards."
Lee added: "It’s a big shift for Sky, but Sky do want good crowds. It looks better — it’s about finding the balance.
"Sky have to sign things off. The Warriors play Saturday night which is absolutely part of it, and the Blues on Friday. It’s a combination between NZR, Sky and the teams… we respect that Sky have been more open for afternoon games — we think it’s encouraging.
"If you're a Warriors fan, the ability to watch a good Super Rugby game in the afternoon and then the Warriors in the pub afterwards is attractive so we're more than happy to be at 4.35 — we can't wait."
Being so conscious of an NRL scheduling clash is relatively unique for NZ Rugby, however, as the organisation has previously behaved in a manner which suggested that rugby was the only game in town.
Casual supporters of either code may have faced a tough choice had the status quo been retained.
After a high-quality quarter-final weekend, the semifinal between a high-flying Hurricanes and a Chiefs team who played with a new-found intensity to dispatch the Reds 43-21 in their play-off would presumably hold appeal, but so would a match between a Warriors team on a three-game winning streak and the table-topping Storm.
The Warriors — who thrashed the Queensland Cowboys 42-12 in Townsville on Saturday — are now ninth, one competition point outside the top eight.
Sky recently announced that its Super Rugby broadcast figures were up 16% compared with last year’s regular season.
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