When NZ Warriors take to the field against Wests Tigers on July 3, the NRL's only Kiwi side will end a streak of exactly 1038 days without appearing at their Mt Smart Stadium fortress.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on trans-Tasman travel, the Warriors haven't played a home game since August 2019, after being forced to relocate to Australia.
The Kiwi side have been based in the likes of Tamworth and Terrigal in New South Wales, before moving to Redcliffe, Queensland for this season.
But that will end in July, with the return of quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel facilitating the Warriors to play at home once again.
In fact, it's been so long since the Warriors last played at home, that only four of the 17 players that took to the field that day are still with the club, as well as having a new captain in Tohu Harris, and new coach in Nathan Brown.
And for captain Harris in particular, currently out of action with a knee injury, the return to New Zealand is welcome for both him and his young family.
"It is a little bit surreal," Harris said. "We never thought we'd have to experience something like this. This is my fifth year at the club, I've spent two in New Zealand, and this is my third in Australia.
"There's a lot of guys that miss being here, miss running out to Mt Smart. We couldn't be more grateful with where we are now in Redcliffe, it's the most normal it's felt, most it's felt like home in a long time.
"But it's a different feeling to being here in Auckland, being here at Mt Smart.
"It's put a huge spotlight on the number of moves we've done. My wife and son have been through the different quarantine lockdowns, we've had to move from place to place.
"Going through Tamworth, Terrigal to Redcliffe, we've been pretty lucky with the places we've stayed, we've been welcomed in every place.
"But there's an old saying, there's no place like home. It's been really nice to be back, to have our feet on the soil again."
The return of the Warriors might also be the start of what's to come for rugby league in New Zealand.
A number of voices on both sides of the Tasman have echoed the sentiments of more games in New Zealand, as a means to thank the Warriors for their sacrifice for what will be three seasons away from home.
And while any commitment from the NRL is yet to be given, Warriors chief executive Cameron George says planning is already underway to see rugby league as a sport give back to New Zealand, and Kiwi fans on the whole.
"At this point, we're having positive discussions," George says. "We're striving to get as much content as we possibly can in New Zealand next year - for the people of New Zealand.
"We've got stadiums that are really keen to talk to us. We've got a FIFA World Cup here next year, so there's a lot of moving parts that blocks out stadiums and so on.
"But there's a lot of opportunities to do it, and we've already, a month ago, started those discussions to get ahead of the game, and then go to the NRL with some proposals."
