Rugby: Taieri ripping ahead in sales

Members of the Taieri Under-7 Blue team (from left) Hamish Mears (7), Liam Smeaton (6), Tyler...
Members of the Taieri Under-7 Blue team (from left) Hamish Mears (7), Liam Smeaton (6), Tyler Summers (6), Cade McRae (6), Sam Pitchers (6), Josh Henderson (6), Hamish Brown (7), Matt Butcher (7), Lachlan Ellis (7), and Jayden Henderson (7), hope to play at Carisbrook. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
The Taieri Under-7 Blue team is determined to get an opportunity to play at Carisbrook before the All Blacks-Springboks test on July 12.

They may get to do just that if the club continues to lead an Otago Rugby Football Union promotion over the next two months.

A club incentive has been devised to push sales for the Tri-Nations test, the first in Dunedin for three years, and to give Rippa rugby players from the four corners of the South a chance to play on Carisbrook's hallowed turf.

The clubs - one each from the Otago, North Otago, Otago Country and Southland regions - that take up the most tickets will play in the curtain-raiser.

ORFU marketing manager Chris Green said sales had been strong in the two weeks they had been available to the wider rugby community.

Public sales start on June 3.

Taieri, which no longer has a premier side but has a massive base of junior players, has a comfortable lead in the race for the 'Brook.

The Mosgiel club leads in the Otago area with more than 200 ticket nominations, followed by Southern (136), Kaikorai (91) and Pirates (85).

Clutha (57) has the early running in the Country, followed by Alexandra (35) and Cromwell (32).

Defending Citizens Shield champion Old Boys (38) is flying the flag for North Otago, ahead of Kurow (19), while Balfour-Lumsden (16) is out in front in Southland.

Green has urged all clubs to keep their nominations coming before the test tickets go on sale to the public.

"What better opportunity for a club than to see the next generation playing on the biggest stage in front of their heroes?" he said.

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