'Melt them at the gate': Cowbells banned for Chiefs-Crusaders final

Officials have rung the bell on cowbells at Christchurch, banning them ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs this Saturday.

The cowbell is synonymous with Waikato rugby, but Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said the club had decided to ban the noisemakers at the venue to ensure the safety of spectators.

“We have made the decision to ban cowbells at Apollo Projects Stadium for the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final between the Crusaders and the Chiefs to ensure all fans are able to come to the Stadium on Saturday night and enjoy a great game of rugby where everyone is safe," Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said in a statement.

In a Linkedin post, Mansbridge said the 17,100-person-capacity Apollo Projects Stadium was "tight" and "compact", with "just enough room to wave a really thin flag".

"There ain't no room to swing a bloody big cowbell and take out the person sitting in the seat beside you."

He said security would conduct thorough bag checks on entry and that cowbells would either be requested to be returned to vehicles or held in a safe location until after the match.

"I'll be asking Venues Ōtautahi to melt them down at the gate, so, seriously, leave them at home," he joked.

Saturday’s final will be the last rugby final hosted at Apollo Projects Stadium after 14 years as the Crusaders’ home ground.

Mansfield said it would be a "game for the ages".

"All Chiefs Rugby Club fans are hugely welcome to come and enjoy the venue. No cowbells."

The team will move to the new One New Zealand Stadium next year.

The Garden City's largest construction project broke ground in April 2022 and is expected to be completed in April 2026.

The multi-use arena will have capacity for a crowd of 30,000 (25,000 permanent seats and room for 5000 more) for sports matches and up to 37,300 when in concert mode.