After being stuck outside of Auckland during lockdown, the Blues are ready for their first game of the year at Eden Park, but will their fans be allowed in?
The earliest indication of an alert level change should come on Friday after Cabinet meets, meaning a drop down to Covid-19 Alert Level 1 could come just hours before Sunday's kick-off against the Highlanders.
Should Auckland stay in Level 2 fans won’t be allowed into Eden Park, however Blues CEO Andrew Hore is confident restrictions will lift, advising fans to get their tickets early.
“We're saying to people just ignore that. Get your ticket and get down here. We won't be in Level 2. We will be playing in front of a full crowd in level one so let's get on with it,” Hore said.
Despite the uncertainty over this weekend, Hore says the team is just grateful to be back in Auckland, after a stint at an Olympic training facility in Cambridge waiting for alert levels to drop.
“It was a lovely holiday down in Cambridge,” Hore laughed.
“But no, it was an interesting week and I think the organisation coped with it really, really well and we were really pleased with what we got out of it in the end and we're back now looking to a full house here on Sunday,” he added.
Also desperate for a full house, are businesses near Eden Park, with some barely getting by.
Cafe owner Phil Clark say they are struggling to regain momentum.
“Incredibly stressful. Last week, for the first time, I had a migraine for six days in a row.”
“Yeah it's really stressful, just a lot going on, so yeah it gets a bit much . ”
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