The Blues will play their first home game of the season at Eden Park on Friday night, and head coach Sir John Kirwan is urging fans to converge on the stadium and get behind his side.

For the fastest player in the 2013 Blues squad, Frank Halai has been relatively slow to burst onto the Super Rugby scene.

Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan has named an unchanged line-up for Friday’s clash with the Crusaders at Eden Park (kick-off 7.30pm).

When the Blues run out on to the pitch at Eden Park against the Crusaders next week, you might do a double take. Why? Because they won’t be wearing their regular jersey.

The Blues may have opened their 2013 Super Rugby account with a bonus point victory but there was no dwelling on the result as they got straight back into training at Unitec this week.

Sir John Kirwan’s reign as Blues head coach began in emphatic fashion tonight as his side toppled the Hurricanes 34-20 at Westpac Stadium.

Blues head coach Sir John Kirwan has announced his side to take on the Hurricanes in their season opener at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night (kick-off 7.35pm).

All this season, Barfoot & Thompson and the Blues are giving you the chance to win great prizes by showing us how passionately you support the team in the digital space.

On Wednesday 27 February, in the lead up to the Blues first home game at Eden Park against the Crusaders, the Blues are supporting MHTNZ in an Inspiring Stories fundraising event

Piri Weepu will make his first appearance of the year for the Blues on Friday when they take on the Highlanders in Queenstown in their final pre-season hit-out.

While the Blues spent three days in Whangarei last week preparing for their victorious pre-season match against the Waratahs, the players took the opportunity to get out and about in the Northland community.