Building the next NZ team

[SpaceMonkey]

So nothing in the city itself to compete with actually attending Games for a new potential NRL team …

Aside from Netball and Rugby, no. The crusaders and NPC are the real competition

 

[Maximus]

I doubt anyone seriously thinks NRL will be taking over from Union in Chch anytime soon…

Gobsmacked/final say thinks the NRL is on its way to being as popular worldwide as the EPL, NFL and NBA.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Aside from Netball and Rugby, no. The crusaders and NPC are the real competition

I know zero about the NPC …is this a fully pro sport …ie with full time athletes?

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I know zero about the NPC …is this a fully pro sport …ie with full time athletes?

Semi pro. Some full timers - those who are also contracted for SR but don't make the test team - mixed with part timers. Runs from early Aug through to late Oct and used to be the centre-piece of domestic rugby here before SR. Many want a return to that.

 

[Matua]

I know zero about the NPC …is this a fully pro sport …ie with full time athletes?

It also has the odd AB playing to get match fitness along with the semi pro and full timers.

Players who don't get Super contracts will often play in the USA comp for their season and then NPC.

There's also an increasing use of overseas players including Oz Super players (which I'm not a fan of).

 

[Matiunz]

I know zero about the NPC …is this a fully pro sport …ie with full time athletes?

Think of it as sort of a NSW cup (NPC) to the NRL(Super Rugby) with 3-4 NPC teams essentially acting as feeders to each of the Super Rugby franchises. Mix between non All Black Super Rugby players, young up and comers, a few sevens players wanting to increase their income and the odd AB cameos for the odd game. The way NZ rugby works is the players are centrally contracted and have a base pay for NPC players- who then get more if they make a Super Rugby squad and then go up a pay tier again if they play representative so an NPC level only player isn’t really full time by itself but will become one if they are good enough for the next level.

 

[Pippen94]

Wellington itself has about 220k, while the ACT (effectively Canberra) has just under 470k.

Add in the broader metro and surrounding regions and Wellington is about 440k give or take, while Canberra/Queanbeyan alone is closer to 500k. Add in other towns in the direct region and Canberra is probably closer to 520k give or take. It depends a lot on where you draw line, and that's extremely heavily debated on ACT/NSW border.

So it's actually the other way around and Canberra is a bit larger than Wellington. Canberra and surrounding regions are growing faster as well.

Regional Economic Profile | Wellington Region | Population growth

rep.infometrics.co.nz

 

[Matiunz]

Regional Economic Profile | Wellington Region | Population growth

rep.infometrics.co.nz

There’s also another approx 200k if you count Wairarapa and Manawatu which is in the Wellington commuter catchment for some

 

[flippikat]

Aside from Netball and Rugby, no. The crusaders and NPC are the real competition

Super Rugby runs mid/late Feb to mid June. With sensible scheduling (ie most home games when the Crusaders are out of town), that's easily accommodated.

Then there's a gap from late June through to early August when there's test rugby (union) happening - just need scheduling to avoid AB test timeslots.. but NZ2 should have a pretty free run in July.

NPC is August to October. Again, might need some co-ordinating with stadium being occupied by both Canterbury NPC & NZ2, but no biggie - and having NPC start just as NRL is in it's final rounds can mean a buzz around the stadium each week if they alternate.

 

[flippikat]

Think of it as sort of a NSW cup (NPC) to the NRL(Super Rugby) with 3-4 NPC teams essentially acting as feeders to each of the Super Rugby franchises. Mix between non All Black Super Rugby players, young up and comers, a few sevens players wanting to increase their income and the odd AB cameos for the odd game. The way NZ rugby works is the players are centrally contracted and have a base pay for NPC players- who then get more if they make a Super Rugby squad and then go up a pay tier again if they play representative so an NPC level only player isn’t really full time by itself but will become one if they are good enough for the next level.

The NSW Cup comparison is a great one - as you see a lot of tradition in the NPC - from historic rivalries, to team uniforms that are very close to what they wore decades ago, and even a very traditional-RU "challenge shield" (Ranfurly Shield) with a long and storied history that to this day means a LOT to the locals when their team wins it.

 

[flippikat]

There’s also another approx 200k if you count Wairarapa and Manawatu which is in the Wellington commuter catchment for some

Yep, and keep in mind that transport links to Wairarapa and Manawatu will improve once we get new hybrid trains on those rail lines. Perfect for game days.

Hybrid trains on the way for lower North Island

The Greater Wellington region is a step closer to ditching the diesel engine.

www.rnz.co.nz

 

[jim_57]

Super Rugby runs mid/late Feb to mid June. With sensible scheduling (ie most home games when the Crusaders are out of town), that's easily accommodated.

Then there's a gap from late June through to early August when there's test rugby (union) happening - just need scheduling to avoid AB test timeslots.. but NZ2 should have a pretty free run in July.

NPC is August to October. Again, might need some co-ordinating with stadium being occupied by both Canterbury NPC & NZ2, but no biggie - and having NPC start just as NRL is in it's final rounds can mean a buzz around the stadium each week if they alternate.

South Island playing the same weekend as Crusaders could be beneficial in some cases. When the other NZ SR sides are in town in theory it could add a few more travelling supporters.

If they want to target the whole South Island it would make sense to try and have SI homes games in Christchurch and Dunedin when the Super Rugby derby games between Crusaders & Highlanders are played in each.

Or I could be way off and it would just dilute the market for that weekend as a lot of people couldn’t or wouldn’t find time for 2 games in a weekend.

 

[Matua]

Yep, and keep in mind that transport links to Wairarapa and Manawatu will improve once we get new hybrid trains on those rail lines. Perfect for game days.

Hybrid trains on the way for lower North Island

The Greater Wellington region is a step closer to ditching the diesel engine.

www.rnz.co.nz

Will it actually improve? Are they going to put on more trains from Palmy etc? Are they going to be faster? Will the triheaded coalition have ripped up all the tracks by then.

An actual usable train for game days would be awesome, I used to travel from Palmy to Welly for Canes games (back when I was an idiot who supported that POS franchise) and it would have been much nicer to jump on a train home rather than drive back tired.

 

[Milhouse2020]

There's no need to establish a new NZ team. All you need to do is promote the Wellington Orcas. Just wanted to clear that up.

 

[Vlad59]

There's no need to establish a new NZ team. All you need to do is promote the Wellington Orcas. Just wanted to clear that up.

How many times have you been booted from this forum? Be quite a few now wouldn’t it?

 

[Milhouse2020]

How many times have you been booted from this forum? Be quite a few now wouldn’t it?

this is my first time on these forums. Just wanted to clear that up.

 

[Vlad59]

this is my first time on these forums. Just wanted to clear that up.

Utter bullshit

 

[Milhouse2020]

Utter bullshit

.....is what women usually think when Vlad59 tries talking to them.

 

[Pippen94]

Some have seen this in other forum. Media rights expert believes NZ2 is more lucrative than Perth:

Smith believes the establishment of a Perth team has the potential to raise NRL rights revenue, yet it would be another team in New Zealand that represents the most bang for buck for Peter V’landys.

“I can see opportunities for rights to be purchased on both sides of the ditch going forward, so there is an argument that it should be New Zealand as opposed to being Perth. It’s a 50% bigger market than WA.”

 

[final say]

Some have seen this in other forum. Media rights expert believes NZ2 is more lucrative than Perth:

Smith believes the establishment of a Perth team has the potential to raise NRL rights revenue, yet it would be another team in New Zealand that represents the most bang for buck for Peter V’landys.

“I can see opportunities for rights to be purchased on both sides of the ditch going forward, so there is an argument that it should be New Zealand as opposed to being Perth. It’s a 50% bigger market than WA.”

Thanks for posting. I argued this for ages many pages ago, another NZ team increases the tv deal in NZ without question making it an absolute must for SKY while still delivering the mooted extra fixture for Foxtel here that any team offers. We aren't going to get much in the way of WA viewers and it could be argued that even here in Aus, the amount of expat Kiwis here that would be captured via a new team would surpass WA..
Another NZ team wins on every metric.