Rugby fans flocked in as professional sport made its return in New Zealand over the weekend.
More than 60,000 attended Super Rugby Aotearoa matches in Auckland and Dunedin - the competition one of the first in the world to allow fans since the Covid-19 crisis begun.
A sold-out crowd of 43,000 watched as All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett celebrated his Blues debut with victory over his old team the Hurricanes at Eden Park yesterday.
Down south the Highlanders edged the Chiefs in Saturday night's competition opener, almost 20,000 there to see Bryn Gatland kick the winning drop-goal to beat the team coached by his dad, Warren Gatland.
Clay Wilson with this report.
