World's largest ceremony to open Warriors' ANZAC Day hosting

The Warriors will host the largest contingent of New Zealand Defence Force personnel commemorating ANZAC Day anywhere in the world this Thursday, as they play a home game on April 25 for the first time in nine years. 

A 180-strong group made up of New Zealand Army, Navy and Air Force personnel will take part in the pre-match ceremony, which will be performed to a capacity crowd at Go Media Stadium before the Warriors play the Titans. 

The size of that contingent will be larger than any other ANZAC Day ceremony of that type held this year, with additional staff also manning exhibitions around the stadium that will include armed vehicles and naval vessels, and the match ball to be delivered via an Air Force helicopter. 

Warriors CEO Cameron George told pan66.com that the thought and planning behind the event reflects how important it is for the club to be hosting an ANZAC Day game for just the second time.

"It means so much to us, it means so much to our country," George said.

"It's really special that we can recognise ANZAC Day and share that experience with our players, and we take it very seriously, the privilege that we have.

We don't look at this as a commercial opportunity, we look at this as what we believe is right for our country. It's right for the sport in New Zealand.

Cameron George Warriors CEO

"It's an honour to host a game on this day in New Zealand... I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to secure one back in New Zealand.

"It will be a very special day at Go Media Stadium on Thursday."

Since 2009 the Warriors have played the Storm in Melbourne on ANZAC Day every year with the exception of 2015, when the Kiwi side hosted the Titans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Landings, and 2020 when games weren't played in April due to the pandemic. 

It became an important fixture for fans of both clubs and for players like Tohu Harris, who faced the Warriors three times (and Sea Eagles once) as a Storm player on ANZAC Day, before moving across the Tasman and playing his former side as a Warrior on the day in 2019 and 2023. 

The 32-year-old said while he was keen to see ANZAC Day games continue to be hosted in New Zealand, he'd eventually like to see Melbourne become their traditional opponents again.

"I would love to be playing them here at home, I enjoy playing against Melbourne and want to play a home game against them on this day," Harris said.

"It would be awesome if it became a regular thing [to host in New Zealand], even if it was a year on, year off with Melbourne; I'd love for it to be Melbourne coming in future years. 

"It's going to be a different feeling preparing for this occasion at home, but one I am really looking forward to."

The Warriors will which honours the servicemen and servicewomen who have fought for New Zealand and Australia.

The design, colours and treatment of the artwork on the jersey are inspired by war posters from yesteryear.

For the New Zealand Defence Force, the event is an opportunity to commemorate and to educate those in attendance about the role they play in modern times. 

"We are wrapping things around it to make it more of an occasion for people at the stadium, so we'll have armed vehicles and navy vessels, with personnel from both those services there to talk to people about the assets," Lieutenant Colonel Tony Sumner told pan66.com.

"As soon as we got presented with this opportunity by the Warriors we looked at it to see exactly what sort of resource we could put towards it, and it soon became obvious this was going to be quite a significant event in terms of uniformed personnel in attendance.

"We are delighted that our people are supporting the event and making it as big as it can possibly be.

"It's taken a lot of work and for people on the day, who will have been up since 4am for dawn services, they've been enthusiastic about having a role in the event."

Before the match between the Warriors and Titans, a curtain-raiser between the women's New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police teams will be played.

As is the case every time these two clubs play, the Zae Wallace Shield – which honours the Auckland-born former Titans U-20 player who passed away in 2019 – will also be played for, with the Warriors the current holders after a 28-18 win in Round 23 last year. 

Images in the header image are courtesy of photosport.nz and the NZDF.