Rugby fans from across Central Otago will get to see two titans of the Super Rugby competition do battle this week in the final preseason game before the 2016 tournament begins.
The Highlanders, last year's Super Rugby champions, will take on the Waratahs, the winners of the 2014 tournament, at the Queenstown Recreation Ground on Friday night.
Highlanders marketing manager Amanda Gould said to date about 500 tickets had been sold for the clash "which, believe it or not, is very good''.
"Traditionally, the Queenstown market is quite slow on the uptake, but it's great to see there's obviously some early interest.''
Corporate tents had already sold out and more than half the 500 free tickets for primary and intermediate-aged children, available from BayleysLocations, had been snapped up by yesterday afternoon.
All children who were given a free ticket went into the draw to win a full Highlanders "kid's kit'', the match-day ball and the chance to go into the Highlanders' dressing room after the match.
The last time the Highlanders played a preseason match in Queenstown was in 2014.
"It's such a fantastic venue and we've got such great fans up in the Central area ... Because we can't get up there to play a Super Rugby in-season [game] we always try to take one of our preseason games to the fans because we appreciate all the travel and time they spend coming to our home games at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin,'' Ms Gould said.
The Highlanders will arrive in the resort on Thursday night after an open training session at Molyneux Park in Alexandra that afternoon.
The gates, opposite Queenstown Primary School in Robins Rd, will open at 4.30pm on Friday and kick-off is at 6pm.
