VISIT OF SPRINGBOKS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 188, 26 August 1937, Page 4

VISIT OF SPRINGBOKS

Napier and Hastings Hotels Have Heavy Bookings RUGBY UNION PREPARES Heavy hotel bookings for September 15. the day of the Hawke's Bay-Spring-bok matchi at Napier, have already been made by Napier and Hastings liotels, and it is expected that existing records for the province will be shattered hy the crowd to attend the game. Sevcral liotels have already been booked out, while others report extremely heavy bookings, "althoughi tho matcli is still throe weeks distant. The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is at present engaged in the provision of extra seating accommodation at Mckean Park, but it is anticipated that their utmost efforts will be needed to cope with the crowds. Over a fortnight ago all the reserved seats had been sold, and those who were lucky enough to obtain these will be forced to use tlie temporary accommodation. Seating accommodation will be available on the ground for 1'3,000 people on the day of the match. Temporary stands are to be built in front of the new, or main stand. level with the ground floor of the permanent structure, to seat 2000 people, and temporary stands at each end of the old stand on the opposite side of the ground will each seat 640 people. At the southern end of the ground tiers of seats and benzine boxes will accommodate 2160, gnd at the northern end 1040. Seating accommodation is available on planks for 4000 children, from Hastings, Napier, Dannevirke, and other parts of tlie province. In addition to the 13,000 seats, it is estimated that the two ramps at the northern end of the ground will each carry 1500 people, bringing the total up to 16,000 for the "official" seats. If, however, the temperament of Hawke's Bay Rugby crowds has not changed ,-considerably since the Ranfurly Shieid days, when McLean Park was crowded for game after game, it is certain that, behind the temporary stands at each end of the ground, on the roofs of all manner of buildings mside the fence, on boxes, chairs and step ladders, an additional crowd will obtain a view of the game.