Christchurch could bid for NRL franchise

[DIEHARD]

Christchurch has become the latest New Zealand city to be linked with the National Rugby League after officials indicated they could bid for a new franchise.

Christchurch rugby league officials revealed their plans after announcing the Wests Tigers would play a game at the impressive Jade Stadium for the next three seasons.

Canterbury Rugby League development manager Jeff Whittaker said big crowds could lead to a bid for an NRL team to be based in Christchurch.

There are business people in this city who would put money into an NRL club in Christchurch

The Tigers will play their home game against the Warriors at Jade Stadium in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Jade Stadium chief executive Dean McKenzie said he was delighted at the prospect.

"Obviously, one of the big ticket items in New Zealand sport is a Warriors game. We have had pre-season games here before but people only want to watch top quality sport now," McKenzie said.

The Bulldogs and Canberra have transferred home matches to Wellington's Westpac Stadium in recent seasons.

McKenzie said NRL operations manager Graham Annesley would visit Jade Stadium next month but the 2004 draw will not be released until December.

 

[Parra_Eels]

if any NZ city deserves another league team it's wellington. personally 16 is the max. number of teams in a proffessional comp. and if there was 1 more team i'd have to say on the gold coast.

 

[ali]

This should fire up the debate.

I was up on the Gold Coast for the first time earlier this week. Admittedly I am not sure where exactly Carrara is on the Gold Coast. But I have 2 problems with the area.

1. The geography of it, in regards to how spread out the place is.
2. The amount of entertainment already available up there. The weather would be good enough to go to the beach during the first few rounds of the season and the last few and there is so much more on offer.

Number 2 was an excuse that was regularly used when poor crowds used to show up on the Gold Coast. I am sure they can do better second time round, but I am not convinced adding a team on the Gold Coast is going to bring much more to the NRL.

Adding another Kiwi team will strengthen the International dimension to the League, and hopefully strengthen the Kiwi Test team long term.

 

[bender]

This should fire up the debate.

I was up on the Gold Coast for the first time earlier this week. Admittedly I am not sure where exactly Carrara is on the Gold Coast. But I have 2 problems with the area.

1. The geography of it, in regards to how spread out the place is.

The Gold Coast is now the 6th Largest city in Australia (bigger than Newcastle) and fastly approaching the size of Adelaide and Perth. It is the fastest growing area in Australia, faster than the Sydney West area. In many respects, the gold coast is actually more important than both of those cities in establishing a proper national competition the equal or better than the AFL. Even since the last time an NRL team played out of the Gold Coast, the city has gained about 200,000 extra residents, a potential fan base which is roughly the same as the entire catchment region of most Sydney teams.

Geographically, Carrara is located quite well. Close to the Surfers Paradise city centre and easily accessible from the Southernly and Northerly centres. Logan City a hugely growing city in its own right and a city which may also support an NRL side in 10 or so years is only about 40 minute drive from Carrara.

2. The amount of entertainment already available up there. The weather would be good enough to go to the beach during the first few rounds of the season and the last few and there is so much more on offer.

Number 2 was an excuse that was regularly used when poor crowds used to show up on the Gold Coast. I am sure they can do better second time round, but I am not convinced adding a team on the Gold Coast is going to bring much more to the NRL.

The amount of entertainment can be a good thing. What would you prefer, a swim at the beach, a night game of NRL and a night at Jupiters casino, or a trip to Brisbane to watch a game at Lang Park. Day time games probably would suffer a little bit but there is no reason why they should not play mostly night games. I would not draw much into the past Coast performance. They were a rabble for nearly their entire existence. Their best ever performance involved finishing 7th in a 14 team half competition which had zero interest outside of sydney and Newcastle. From memory, losing as many or more games than they won. A successful side would bring instant crowds and a lot of support, particularly the anti bronco support in the south east Queensland which has sprung up mostly since the charges folded.

Adding another Kiwi team will strengthen the International dimension to the League, and hopefully strengthen the Kiwi Test team long term.

I agree that another kiwi team would be very good and is an absolute must if it were financially viable. But i dont think the Kiwi team's inclusion should have any bearing on the Gold Coast's entrant. A wellington team would not need to draw any players from the NRL (I believe they could field a competive team using Bartercard players, Warriors Extras and Kiwis currently in the UK). And their juniours (and aukland left over juniors) should make them virtually self sufficent and absolutely no drain in the short or long term. In this sense, i can only see positives for a New Zealand sides entry.

Gold Coast would need to find players in the short term, although their juniors would make them self sufficient in the long term and their crowds would certainly be advantageous.

 

[tHe_MaC]

Parra_Eels, explain to me why Wellington deserve a team more than CHCH?

 

[Parra_Eels]

well i guess (i'm not sure about this) it has a bigger league base. i mean it has had test matches and nrl matches played there before. but then again christchurch would be a very good options considering they have jade stadium. i still think the coast is best.
by the way, is jade stadium the old lancaster park or is it completely different.

 

[tHe_MaC]

yes it is the Old Lancaster Park but a couple of new stands have been added.

Also to your better league base comment.
The Canterbury Bulls which are based in CHCH won the Bartercard Cup, while Wellington came last or close to it.

Also this year the crowds in Wellington for the NRL games were absolutely poor,as was the crowd at the test they had last year.

Also I think Wellington is a horrible city while CHCH is 10000 times better and is much more deserving of a NRL Team than Wellington.

 

[Parra_Eels]

true, i was recently went to chch and it was a pretty cool place.

 

[Mark Rudd]

A second Brisbane team based on the North side of Brisbane is a better option. They can draw on the fans of the game from the Sunshine Coast too. Give RL 3 teams in the Brisbane area. It wouldnt be overkill. I reckon though that the AFL will put a second Brissy team up there first before the NRL does. Pity.

 

[ali]

Bender, Mark Rudd, I am all for as much expansion as posible. That being slow expansion where each team is given a shot to come into the League, not like 95 where 4 teams were dumped in at once, at expected to be competitive straight away. I would love those 4 areas given teams. I just think a second NZ team should come first.

There is no doubt that both QLD and NZ are far below the quota of NRL teams they should have, for the level of support and number of players each area produces. I said i don't know how much more the Gold Coast could bring to the League, but they would be equally as good for the League if not better than most teams in Sydney. I just think another NZ team could do wonders for our code.

Ideally I would like to see all 4 of the above. But I don't know how we can achieve this. The clubs wont like the pie being cut up even more and the doomsayers in the media will whinge about there not being enough playing talent. But with more and more players coming out of NZ, with the potential for even more if the game goes more national over there, they would be self sufficient.

 

[DIEHARD]

Ideally I'd like to see a club on the NZ southern Island, would create an interesting rivalry. I'm looking forward to the Gold Coast returning in the next couple of years, they will become my premier team and I will commute from Brisbane for every game like I used to for the Chargers. 2nd Brisbane team for the North suburbs and sunny coast is my dream as well.

 

[Mystery Man]

I'm hopeful of a second team in South East Queensland, but, in the short term, there should not be two. I wouldn't mind if it was in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, though it seems likely that if it does happen it will be on the Gold Coast.

The reason I wouldn't like to see two teams is because it would make it very difficult for both teams to be successful. They would be competing for sponsorship, players, media coverage, and, possibly, fans. It would be better to let only one team in and give that team the best possible opportunity for success. If another team was to be considered, I think that the NRL should wait until the first one had established itself on and off the field.

If there was to be a second Brisbane team, I don't think that it would be a good idea for it to be regionally based (eg North Brisbane). The Broncos have fans from all over Brisbane, and the second team would probably do it tough if they limited themselves to one particular region. If they were simply a second Brisbane team, with no regional identity, they would have a much better opportunity to build a fan base. Also, there are no other stadiums in the region which could accomodate an NRL team, so it would mean that they would have to play out of Lang Park, as the goverment would not be prepared to fund another stadium.

 

[Mystery Man]

Here's some good news regarding the Gold Coast:

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,7435643-23214,00.html

 

[Aries]

They are trying to get rid of teams, not sign new ones!!

There are 2 stand outs before NZ get another team, and probably a 3rd also...

The next team will be from the Central Coast
If they missout it will be the Gold Coast
Then we have a second Brisbane team needed

The only way this will change is if someone relocates to Christchurch, which I doubt, because it would probably be a Sydney based team to relocate, and they will want to stay as close to Sydney as possible.. IE: Central Coast... Central Coast will not accept them, like the Beagles, as they want their OWN team. Gold Coast has had 2 teams fail already and anyone to relocate there may die a slow death also.

That leaves Brisbane. If a team tries to relocate there, they will get bullied and pushed around by the team up there now, as the Crushers did and probably die a slow death too...

I can't see a relocated team moving to Christchurch doing any better, as the KIWI's will want another total Kiwi team or it too will die a slow death...
Don't forget, they have had a team go belly up and is now privately owned.

THAT is why all the Sydney teams are fighting "to the death" to stay where they are!!

Who knows, a miricle may happen and the NRL may expand the comp one day, like when it went ahead in leaps and bounds and the NSWRL expanded it, but again, dont hold your Breath. People that only care about money are incharge now, unlike when it was run by people who cared about the Game!!

 

[iggy plop]

This should fire up the debate.

I was up on the Gold Coast for the first time earlier this week. Admittedly I am not sure where exactly Carrara is on the Gold Coast. But I have 2 problems with the area.

1. The geography of it, in regards to how spread out the place is.
2. The amount of entertainment already available up there. The weather would be good enough to go to the beach during the first few rounds of the season and the last few and there is so much more on offer.

Number 2 was an excuse that was regularly used when poor crowds used to show up on the Gold Coast. I am sure they can do better second time round, but I am not convinced adding a team on the Gold Coast is going to bring much more to the NRL.

Adding another Kiwi team will strengthen the International dimension to the League, and hopefully strengthen the Kiwi Test team long term.

What about a second Brisbane team? Done right with no superleague to rip the guts out of it. Better recruitment. league games at Lang Park every week.

 

[joshreading]

I think that a Southern NZ team should be entered.

The 'Southern whatevers' could play out of Wellington (6 games) Christchurch (6 games) and Dunedin (1 game), maybe even Palmerston North (1 game)?

It increases everything from sponsorship to juniors and fan base.

It would also match the Super 12 in number of home games but not try to be silly and try to establish a team that will cost more then a super 12 team to run while being the minor sport.

 

[joshreading]

Oh also the NRL should encourage other areas to try and get NRL game transfers to their stadiums in NZ such as Rotorua etc.

 

[joshreading]

Ohhhh the Gold Coast should get a team BUT with a twist.

They should be called the Coastal 'Whatevers' or south Queensland and play most of their games out of GC BUT play say three games out of Lang Park.

Even playing their BIG games such as Brisbane out of Lang Park would work I think as they can establish it as another home ground. Get bigger crowds and heat up the competition against the Broncos and push AFl back to where it should be.

 

[Matta]

I think that a Southern NZ team should be entered.

The 'Southern whatevers' could play out of Wellington (6 games) Christchurch (6 games) and Dunedin (1 game), maybe even Palmerston North (1 game)?

It increases everything from sponsorship to juniors and fan base.

It would also match the Super 12 in number of home games but not try to be silly and try to establish a team that will cost more then a super 12 team to run while being the minor sport.

But didn't the Wests Tigers say they'll play a home game in Christchurch for the next three years whenever playing the Warriors? I see this as a problem for Christchurch to enter the competition any sooner. Probably five or six years time IMO.

A gold coast team entering would depend if the crowd are going to watch their team. And they're gonna have to win games as well.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Here's some good news regarding the Gold Coast:

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,7435643-23214,00.html

If Politis want's a club on the Gold Coast so much, why doesn't he do the right thing by the game and relocate the Roosters there. They'd have some juniors then.