n an exciting deal negotiated with Hawkes Bay Tourism and Napier City Council, Napier hosted one of the Vodafone Warriors’ first home games of the dynamic 2023 NRL season.

Sports Marketing Australia assisted Hawkes Bay Tourism and Napier City Council in securing the game and the community was thrilled to have the Warriors back on home soil. Vodafone Warriors CEO, Cameron George, made the announcement which followed confirmation the Warriors’ would return to their Auckland base after three years in Australia.

The Warriors created history by playing their first NRL game at Napier’s McLean Park, which attracted a significant economic impact to the region based on the large number fans of travelling from Australia and across New Zealand. In addition to the direct economic benefit from the match, the TV Broadcast through Sky Sports NZ and Fox Sports Australia generated strong branding opportunities for the Hawkes Bay region resulting in opportunities for repeat leisure tourism in the future.

Napier City Council Event Manager, Kevin Murphy, said it was fantastic to secure a game with The Warriors for McLean Park.

“We have been excited by the response from both locals and out of towners to the announcements,” he said. “It was an awesome night to be a part of, especially with Tohu Harris involved with the team.”