Hope for fans around the world as thousands attend Auckland Blues' 30-20 win over the Hurricanes
- 4 years ago
The Auckland-based Blues held on to beat the Wellington-based Hurricanes 30-20 in a Super Rugby Aotearoa match played in front of 41-thousand fans Sunday, the largest crowd in 15 years for a Super Rugby match at Auckland’s Eden Park.
The drawcard for fans was not only the opportunity to attend live rugby again, without limitations on crowd size or requirements to social distance or wear masks. Many turned out to see the debut for the Blues of All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett, who previously played all of his 120 Super Rugby matches for the Hurricanes.
Barrett started at fullback on Sunday but spent some of his time at first receiver, doubling in that role with flyhalf Otere Black who helped the Blues win five of seven matches in the full Super Rugby tournament before the five-nation competition was abandoned because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The drawcard for fans was not only the opportunity to attend live rugby again, without limitations on crowd size or requirements to social distance or wear masks. Many turned out to see the debut for the Blues of All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett, who previously played all of his 120 Super Rugby matches for the Hurricanes.
Barrett started at fullback on Sunday but spent some of his time at first receiver, doubling in that role with flyhalf Otere Black who helped the Blues win five of seven matches in the full Super Rugby tournament before the five-nation competition was abandoned because of the coronavirus outbreak.