Call to move next Matatū game to Christchurch stadium after record-breaking 12k crowd

Monday, 15 June 2026

Savannah Wilson, 9, is one of a record-breaking 11,793-strong crowd who watched Matatū beat Chiefs Manawa One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday.

Flags were flying, faces painted and chants shouted as thousands of people helped women’s rugby team Matatū break a record this weekend.

Some 11,793 people poured into Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday to watch Matatū demolish Chiefs Manawa 52-26 in the first round of Super Rugby Aupiki, New Zealand’s professional women’s rugby competition.

The previous audience record for a standalone domestic women’s rugby match in New Zealand was 4800 when the Blues beat the Chiefs in the 2024 Aupiki final at Eden Park.

Matatū captain Grace Brooker on the burst during the match.

Long queues formed outside One New Zealand Stadium before kick-off.

The stadium can seat 25,000 people, but large parts of it were closed off to keep costs down and the number of entry gates was reduced.

Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said 68% of patrons arrived within 30 minutes of kick-off, compared to 51% for previous Super Rugby matches.

The longest wait to get inside the venue was nine minutes, she said.

Harvie-Teare said VŌ would do a debrief to work out if anything could have been done better and whether they needed to open more entry gates.

After Saturday’s game, Matatū captain Grace Brooker said she was proud of Ōtautahi for turning out and making the players feel seen and heard.

Christchurch came out in support of Matatū during its game against the Chiefs Manawa.

“It is a super special thing.”

Seeing the east stand packed was a “surreal” moment, she said.

“Growing up I always wanted to be a professional rugby player and it was that moment that you dream of, so to come out and it be a [reality]…was super special.”

Brooker issued a challenge to rugby fans from around Aotearoa to get out and support the other women’s teams too.

Players celebrate one of eight tries during the match.

“I’m calling for 12,000 at every game.”

A petition has been launched by a fan to shift Matatū’s next home game to the stadium too. Matatū is due to play the Blues at Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub on July 18.

The Ngā Puna Wai grandstand has seating for about 550 plus space on the surrounding embankment.

Venues Ōtautahi chief executive Caroline Harvie-Teare said the longest wait to get inside the venue was nine minutes, she said.

The queues at gate E, fifteen minutes before kick-off.

“We don’t want anyone to have a compromised experience.”

There were no road closures around the venue, as there had been for recent sold-out events at the stadium.

Harvie-Teare said the threshold for traffic management was 15,000 tickets.

She said she hoped everyone loved the experience.