Super Rugby Pacific: Blues v Chiefs final at Eden Park sells out within hours

Tuesday, 18 June 2024

First-half try scoring blitz sends Blues through to final after victory over Brumbies.

The Blues have announced that Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park has sold out.

They host the Chiefs in the decider when a crowd of about 44,000 is expected in Auckland.

The Blues haven’t staged a sellout since the 2022 final they lost to the Crusaders at Eden Park.

Saturday night’s Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park has sold out only hours after tickets went on general sale.

The Blues host the Chiefs in the competition decider when a crowd of about 44,000 is expected in Auckland.

Tickets went on general sale at 9am on Tuesday and the Blues said the final had sold out about five hours later.

Blues and Chiefs fans will fill Eden Park for Saturday night’s final.

A Blues spokesperson said they were also looking at ways of maximising the capacity and additional seats might become available later in the week.

The Blues last staged a sellout for the 2022 final they lost 21-7 against the Crusaders in front of about 45,000 fans at Eden Park.

The anticipated attendance for Saturday is much larger than the crowds the Blues have attracted this year.

Blues hooker Ricky Riccitelli is wrapped in a tackle when they hosted the Chiefs earlier this month.

Their biggest crowd of the regular season was 25,900 when they beat the Hurricanes 31-27 in May.

A new champion will be crowned for the first time since the Hurricanes lifted the trophy in 2016. Scott Robertson’s Crusaders had won the previous seven titles.

The Blues are aiming to end a 21-year drought for the top prize and the Chiefs are chasing their first title since 2013.

It’s second against fourth as the two Kiwi rivals meet in the final for the first time.

Saturday’s sellout will be about double the attendance of their clash in the final round of the regular season (22,194) when the Blues beat an understrength Chiefs team 31-17 on June 1.

The Blues advanced from their semifinal last Friday night at Eden Park, beating the Brumbies 34-20 in front of a crowd of no more than 20,000, and the Chiefs upset the table-topping Hurricanes 30-19 in Wellington on Saturday.

The Chiefs hosted a sellout of about 25,000 in last year’s final when they lost 25-20 to the Crusaders at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium.