Crusaders match could draw sellout

It’s been 14 years since the Hurricanes sold out a Super Rugby regular season match in Wellington, but after the scenes of reopening weekend they’re daring to dream.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for Sunday afternoon’s Super Rugby Aotearoa match at Sky Stadium against the Crusaders, the opponents who consistently draw the biggest crowds in the capital.

Putting aside the finals the Hurricanes hosted in 2015 (a loss to the Highlanders) and 2016 (a win over the Lions), the last time they topped 30,000 for a regular season home match was in 2008 when an official crowd of 31,744 watched them face the Crusaders.

Two years earlier when the Crusaders came to town, the ‘house full’ sign went up at 34,500, as the visitors won 20-11 on the way to another title, when they beat the Hurricanes in the Christchurch fog final of 2006.

Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee told Stuff: ‘‘If I had to put a number on it, late 20,000s to 30,000 would be superb. The Crusaders are obviously a class outfit and our fans love coming to a home game.

‘‘It should be a great occasion and, as we saw last weekend people couldn’t wait to get out and watch some sport.’’

The remarkable weekend scenes in Dunedin and Auckland provides hope that Sunday’s capacity of just under 34,000 could be reached at the stadium.

Around 22,000, just under capacity, watched the Highlanders beat the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium then the Hurricanes faced a blue wall in Auckland when a 43,000 sellout roared home the Blues to a 30-20 win.