GWM Game Day Guide: Finals history at Eden Park
Eden Park is braced for the biggest rugby league crowd in New Zealand history when it hosts an NRL finals match for the first time on Sunday.
The second-ranked One New Zealand Warriors have earned a second opportunity in the 2026 play-offs facing the sixth-placed Newcastle Knights in an elimination semi-final (6.05pm kick-off).
With all tickets snapped up for the match within hours of going on sale on Monday, the country’s national stadium is set to be packed with a crowd of more than 48,000.
That would eclipse the record which has stood for almost 38 years – the attendance of 47,363 for the Rugby League World Cup final at Eden Park on October 9, 1988.
Match: Warriors v Knights
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Warriors
2nd Position
away Team
Knights
7th Position
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
And it would easily top the One New Zealand Warriors’ biggest home crowd of 38,412 the first time the club took a match to Eden Park for the season opener against Parramatta on March 12, 2011.
With the Full Time Sports Bar & Eatery and other hospitality venues heaving in nearby Kingsland through much of the day, fans are in for a truly historic experience.
Central to it for many will be the integrated ticketing in place for the occasion:
- Free transport on train, bus and ferry services is included with each match day ticket running from 2.00pm to the end of daily services.
- A North Shore Special Event Bus will be operating from Albany via Northern Busway stations from 3.00pm and departing approximately every 10 minutes.
- Plan your travel via Travel to major events in Auckland or with the AT Mobile App.
- The Outer Office Fan Zone will be open from 1.00pm and accessible via Gate Q on Sandringham Rd with live music from Phil Madsen and King Kapisi (3.00pm), with food and beverage, sign-making, face painting and hair braiding. Entry to all ticket holders.
Another highlight of the day will be the Warrior Nation hikoi departing to the stadium from the Sandringham Road Rail Bridge at 4.30pm. Thousands of fans are expected to join in as the faithful walk to Eden Park.
With gates to Eden Park opening at 4.15pm, supporters are advised to arrive early to avoid congestion and queues.
GWM Game Day Guide | NRL Finals
1.00pm: Outer Oval Fan Zone opens (access via Gate Q)
4.15pm: Gates open
4.30pm: Warrior Nation Hikoi departs (Sandringham Road Rail Bridge)
5.05pm: Coin toss
5.25pm: Warm-ups
6.05pm: Kick-off
6.45pm: Halftime show featuring Savage
7.40pm: Fulltime
