They will play their NPC semifinal against Bay of Plenty in front of the biggest home crowd they have had in more than a decade.
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Kinley said they were on track for a crowd of 10,000, which was way more than they expected.
Sales staff had to scramble yesterday and open up other parts of the stadium.
They opened The Terrace — the Mitre 10 Stand — and the lower tier of the North Stand.
"We’re looking at a crowd of around 10,000," Kinley said.
"The support from the community is just unprecedented. It's just something we hadn't expected.
"I suppose that reflects both the style of play that the team's playing and the connection that the team's worked really hard to create in the community.
"I’m absolutely thrilled for them. I know that Sam Gilbert and the team wanted a big crowd to lift them."
Kiney said the last time he remembered a crowd about that size would have been the 2013 Ranfurly Shield defence against Hawke’s Bay.
The extra people flooding through the turnstiles this season is a boost to the bottom line. But they might have to spend a few dollars extending the trophy cabinet, which is bulging with the Ranfurly Shield and the Lin Colling, the Mike Gibson and the Donald Stuart memorial trophies plus the Payne Trophy.
