GWM Game Day Guide: Big day out at One NZ Stadium

A special day for the history books is set to rock in Christchurch when the One New Zealand Warriors bring rugby league to a packed One New Zealand Stadium for the first time on Sunday.

Not just one but three Warriors teams will run onto the ground on an occasion marked by the presence of the NRL’s powerbrokers, New Zealand music legends, rugby league legends and members and fans from throughout the country and across the Tasman.

This will, indeed, be one of the biggest days the game has seen in New Zealand peaking with the One New Zealand Warriors facing the North Queensland Cowboys in their round 16 NRL contest.

When tickets went on sale in January all available seats were snapped up in five days making it the club’s fastest-selling regular season match since the debut game against the Brisbane Broncos in 1995.

GWM Game Day Guide | Round 16

Match day sponsor: One New Zealand

• 10.45am | Gates open
• 11.00am | NRLW trial: One New Zealand Warriors v Brisbane Broncos
• 12.25pm | Persil Junior Footy
• 1.30pm | New South Wales Cup: One New Zealand Warriors v Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
• 3.00pm | NRL coin toss
• 3.30pm | NRL warm-ups
• 4.00pm | NRL: One New Zealand Warriors v North Queensland Cowboys
• 4.40pm | Halftime entertainment features an iconic Kiwi rock tribute performance, with lead vocalists from The Exponents, Th’ Dudes and Dragon performing some of their most recognisable hits. Presented by One New Zealand.
• 5.35pm | Full time

After gates open at 10.45am, the first rugby league teams to have the honour of playing under the roof will be the NRLW teams from the Warriors and the Broncos in a preseason trial kicking off at 11.00am.

At 1.30pm the Warriors host the Bulldogs in the New South Wales Cup followed by the main feature between the Warriors and the Cowboys (4.00pm) with the home side wearing ‘Kotahitanga’, the jersey collaboratively designed by the One New Zealand Warriors, Dynasty Sport and Canterbury’s own Warrior #151 Lewi Brown.

‘Kotahitanga’ is symbolic on a personal level for Brown but it also speaks to the Warriors as an all-embracing community and honours Christchurch and its people with special features.

On hand to witness Sunday’s landmark occasion will be Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo along with a host of rugby league greats.