Homecoming #4: Full house sign up again for Mount Smart

The Vodafone Warriors will farewell their Covid exile era in front of a packed house of 26,000-plus fans after free tickets gifted by Vodafone were snapped up in a little more than three hours of being made available this morning.

Newly re-signed major sponsor Vodafone announced on Friday that it had bought all unsold tickets to give away to fans for the club’s season-ending Homecoming Series encounter with the Gold Coast Titans at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday (5.00pm kick-off).

Vodafone’s generosity saw more than 6500 tickets up for grabs through Ticketmaster from 9.00am today.

Limited to two per customer, the tickets flew out the door to ensure the Vodafone Warriors will play at a full house for the second time in the only four games they have played at home in their last three years of being based in Australia.

“It’s brilliant knowing the fans and players will experience being at a packed Mount Smart for the second time this season,” said Vodafone Warriors CEO Cameron George.

“We’re so grateful to Vodafone for buying the remaining tickets. What they have done is tremendous. It not only ensures we’ll have a full house but it also means fans who wouldn’t normally be able to come to Mount Smart will be with us.

“It’s a great way to sign off our exiled period in Australia and to look ahead to being back at home next year.”

More than 26,000 fans were jammed into the stadium on July 3 for the club’s first match at home in 1038 days since hosting South Sydney on August 30, 2019.

Outside the debut campaign in 1995, it was the fastest selling-match in the club’s history, the first time a match had sold out so far in advance of game day and only the fourth instance of the stadium being at capacity for a regular season fixture.

The second Homecoming Series match against Melbourne on July 29 drew a crowd of almost 18,500 while more than 16,000 fans were on hand for the third match against Canterbury Bankstown on August 12.

Today’s news of another 26,000-plus crowd means the four matches have attracted almost 90,000 fans.

The Vodafone Warriors beat the Tigers 22-2 in the first match, lost 12-24 to Melbourne in the second and triumphed 42-18 against the Bulldogs.

On Saturday they face a Titans side fresh from a 36-26 win over Newcastle yesterday.