‘Magnets at the gate’: Cowbell concession for Chiefs fans at One NZ Stadium tonight

Friday, 22 May 2026

A cowbell concession has been made for One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha for tonight’s match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders. (File photo)

Chiefs fans can once again swing their cowbells around after Christchurch’s stadium operators lifted the city’s bell ban in time for Friday night’s match.

But Crusaders boss Colin Mansbridge says he’s not worried - he’ll have his magnets ready at the gate.

The Crusaders will play the Chiefs at One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha in the penultimate round of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific regular season.

Four fans blow their horns at a Crusaders match in 2009, a year before the ban. (File photo)

Chiefs fans were encouraged to smuggle their bells into the stadium, with the club’s boss Simon Graafhuis offering prizes to successful smugglers.

On Friday afternoon, One NZ Stadium announced in a Facebook post that smuggling won’t be necessary.

“There’s been a lot of talk about cowbells this week, but a ban was news to us (and the fans who brought them in during Super Round).

“Chiefs fans, while we've loved seeing your creative thinking for ways to sneak them past security, you’re not going to have to try that hard.

“Cowbells are allowed inside One New Zealand Stadium on a couple of conditions: They are used safely and respectfully around other guests. Our team reserve the right to enforce cowbells are put away or confiscated if their holders are found to be causing issues for others.”

The stadium said the job of Crusaders’ fans will be simple: “Make so much noise that we don't hear the cowbells anyway.”

Mansbridge previously said he received threats after banning Chiefs’ fans from bringing cowbells to the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders last year.

Fans arrive for the Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Waratahs at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha in Christchurch, the first major event at the stadium after it opened in April 2026, (File photo)

At the time, he explained the decision came down to the stadium’s size — or lack of it. The now defunct Apollo Stadium fit 17,000 people, compared to the Chiefs’ home crowd capacity of 25,000, or Eden Park’s 50,000.

One NZ Stadium at Te Kaha has 25,000 seats.

Mansbridge said Crusaders fans can show their support with flags, and while the bells may be allowed back, he didn’t think he’d see any on Friday night in Christchurch.

“There won’t be any bells [getting] in - I’ve got magnets at the gate.”

Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the cowbell ban at Apollo Projects Stadium was because it was a different venue with different challenges.

Crusaders’ fans used to take horns, known as vuvuzelas, to drown out the sound of rival fans.

The plastic blowing horns produce a loud, distinctive monotone note and were the subject of considerable worldwide criticism.

They were banned in 2010 due to “significant negative feedback”, then Canterbury Rugby Union boss Hamish Riach said at the time.

Harvie-Teare said their presence caused a large volume of complaints due to the sound, volume and way users behaved with them.

“At this stage, they will remain banned from [Christchurch’s new] stadium.”