Warriors and Tigers to roam wild in Whanga¯rei

Excitement is building with less than two weeks before the Vodafone Warriors and West Tigers NRL teams come to Whanga¯rei to play their final trial match before the start of the 2019 season.

Vodafone Warriors head coach Stephen Kearney is committed to fielding his strongest possible squad for the the March 2 trial, which represents the team’s final build-up before the season opener against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Mount Smart Stadium on March 16.

The Whanga¯rei match-up offers a tantalising prospect for fans with the potential of seeing as many as 18 current or past Kiwis in action.

Organisers are putting the call out to the Northland community to get along to Northland Events Centre and experience an action-packed afternoon offering something for the entire family. Free activities on the day include a bouncy castle and bubble machine for the littlies, as well as “onsite activations” from Flava, the NZ Police, Family Violence It’s Not Okay, Rugby League Northland and Takahiwai Rugby League Club along with free sunscreen and water.

For a bit of local fun, at half time of the main game the Northland Taniwha mascot is set to take on the Warriors mascot in the “battle of the mascots” while Rugby League Northland is organising a club relay, with 10 mini mod teams from local clubs taking the field at different times during the day.

Fans are also invited to attend the Warriors open captain’s run at the same venue on Friday, March 1, from 10am-12pm. The next day, players will be available to engage with fans straight after the main game while the latest Warriors merchandise will also be available for purchase during the captain’s run and on game day.

Northland Events Centre Trust chairman Alastair Wells encouraged the community to come out in force to support the team.

“It’s a fantastic event for the Northland region. The games will be held on Saturday afternoon to allow plenty of travel time for everyone in Northland to be able to attend. It would be great if we could get a good crowd along to create an electric atmosphere.”

■ All tickets purchased up to 5pm on Tuesday, February 26, go in to a draw to win the Ultimate Vodafone Warriors Prize Pack — 25th season Warriors jerseys for one adult and one child.