Bledisloe Cup clash at Eden Park

Eden Park has been a much-loved venue for 117 years and home to some of the world’s most memorable sporting history. New Zealand will this weekend be one of the few countries in the world to welcome back live sport and entertainment amongst a pulsating throng of fans.

On Sunday, the stage will be set for another unforgettable battle of the Tasman when the All Blacks face the Wallabies in the second test of the Bledisloe Cup series.

A small resurgence of COVID-19 cases saw Auckland move back into lockdown which meant several matches were either called off, cancelled or postponed. However, at 11.59pm on Wednesday 7 October restrictions were lifted and the New Zealand Government announced that unrestricted crowds were welcome at the eagerly awaited Bledisloe Cup.

With a period of 10 days to prepare the country’s largest stadium for a sell-out crowd, Eden Park says its lean team is well prepared and excited to deliver another unforgettable experience.

“We look forward to welcoming a capacity crowd of near 50,000 of our nation’s team of 5 million who all played a key role in reducing the spread of COVID-19. A special thank you ton the more than 3,000-strong workforce who help to deliver events and make it possible for the return of live sport and entertainment at Eden Park,” says Chief Executive Officer Nick Sautner.

The stadium is revered domestically and around the world and holds special memories for All Blacks fans with their winning percentage at Eden Park being 87%.

“The All Blacks hold a 34-year winning streak against the Wallabies at Eden Park, one of the most impressive records in sporting history. There’s no question this stadium has immense mana for both athletes and fans,” says Sautner.

“The health of staff, athletes and patrons remains our priority and our team contributed to developing ‘the Covid Code’ for Government. Following the move to Alert Level 1, a number of additional measures will be in place at Eden Park such as sanitiser stations, digital and static hygiene promotion signage and additional cleaning of frequently used surfaces. The Park’s QR code will be available for those utilising the NZ COVID Tracer App,” adds Sautner.

Eden Park will play a key role in contributing to Aotearoa’s economy through future events including the three Women’s World Cups (2021 Rugby World Cup, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023) and Te Matatini hosted at Eden Park.