Tahs boss Andrew Hore confirms season opener against Hurricanes will go ahead at Brookvale Oval

The Waratahs will continue to monitor the shoddy state of the Brookvale Oval playing surface but have ruled out any possibility of switching their Super Rugby season opener to a different venue with the match almost sold out

The Waratahs face the Hurricanes in the opening round this weekend.

The Waratahs will kick-off their Super Rugby season at Brookvale Oval against the Hurricanes as planned this Saturday after getting reassurances the shabby playing surface will be up to scratch.

NSW Rugby officials contacted the Northern Beaches Council to complain about patches on the field and will continue to check the state of the field in the lead up the season opener but say there are no plans to move the game to a different venue.

"We are looking at the management of the field this week, but it has been assessed by all parties and there is no reason to believe it won’t be fit for purpose and ready for Saturday," NSW Rugby chief executive Andrew Hore said.

The Waratahs face the Hurricanes in the opening round this weekend.

"We will be there Saturday — we are confident of that.”

The Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) is also monitoring the situation amid fears a below-standard field could increase the risk of injury and supports the Waratahs’ plans to proceed.

“We have been in regular contact with the NSW Waratahs and have been assured that they are taking necessary steps to ensure the surface at Brookvale Oval will be safe for players this Saturday night,” RUPA Chief Executive Prataal Raj said.

“We will continue to engage with them on this in the lead up to the match.”

Brookvale Oval has been problematic for years now with the Manly Sea Eagles and Sydney FC also expressing their concerns about the shoddy playing surface but has proven a winner with fans.

The Waratahs scrapped a planned curtain raiser because of the state of the pitch when they played a match in one of rugby league’s heartlands last season but the public’s response to playing in the suburbs has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We know the challenges that have been faced with the surface at Brookvale over the years, but we have done a site visit and are confident the surface will meet our standards,” Hore said.

"The NSW Waratahs are excited to be returning to our rugby heartland on the northern beaches at Brookvale Oval, with a huge crowd expected and tickets selling fast."

Fresh from his new deal, Israel Folau will take on the Hurricanes.

With Allianz Stadium currently being rebuilt, the Waratahs are spreading their home games around the state with the Sydney Cricket Ground, the new Western Sydney Stadium and Newcastle joining Brookvale as hosts this year.

Saturday’s match is expected to be sold out, which will mark the biggest crowd at a Waratahs’ home game in years and the players are expecting a festive atmosphere regardless of how the pitch is.

"It's so good to get out to those local crowds, particularly on the north shore where the kids can get around it," Australian back-rower Ned Hanigan said.

"We love playing there and any sellout crowd is awesome, and we're really excited to get among it."