Major expansion U-turn is needed

[Brian potter]

That's a bit like saying there should be a team permanently based in London that represents all of the south of England and plays a few games in other cities like Bristol, Bournemouth, etc. . .

I really don't understand how people expect these clubs to build any sort of connection to their communities or any habit of attending if they're always away from their communities.

Big difference being the disparity in populations with the total population of the South Island only being around 1.3 million compared to 30 million for southern England.

also the overwhelming majority of games would be played in Christchurch with around 2-3 played at other locations like dunedin, Nelson and maybe even invercargill.

 

[The Great Dane]

Big difference being the disparity in populations with the total population of the South Island only being around 1.3 million compared to 30 million for southern England.

also the overwhelming majority of games would be played in Christchurch with around 2-3 played at other locations like dunedin, Nelson and maybe even invercargill.

Population size is irrelevant if these people recognise themselves as distinct groups, which like London and the other cities in the south of England, is true of Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, etc.
You also don't seem to understand exactly how far Christchurch is from Dunedin, Nelson, etc. London is about 2 -2.30 hours from Bournemouth and Bristol respectively, on the other hand Christchurch is 4.30 hours from Dunedin and 5 hours from Nelson.

Christchurch/Canterbury and Dunedin/Otago wouldn't be interested in "sharing" an NRL side in any genuine sense of the term, in fact the concept would probably offend a lot of them, and Nelson and Invercargill aren't anywhere near big enough to support NRL sides even if they wanted them.

If you want to grow the sport in each city you'll need to find ways to make it work in each individual city by finding local solutions to local problems, not try and half-arse it by forcibly bundling them together and spreading the Christchurch team (as that's what it'll be in reality) too thin in the process. That sort of lazy, ignorant, and tokenistic thinking needs to die.

 

[Brian potter]

Population size is irrelevant if these people recognise themselves as distinct groups, which like London and the other cities in the south of England, is true of Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, etc.
You also don't seem to understand exactly how far Christchurch is from Dunedin, Nelson, etc. London is about 2 -2.30 hours from Bournemouth and Bristol respectively, on the other hand Christchurch is 4.30 hours from Dunedin and 5 hours from Nelson.

Christchurch/Canterbury and Dunedin/Otago wouldn't be interested in "sharing" an NRL side in any genuine sense of the term, in fact the concept would probably offend a lot of them, and Nelson and Invercargill aren't anywhere near big enough to support to NRL sides even if they wanted them.

If you want to grow the sport in each city you'll need to find ways to make it work in each individual city by finding local solutions to local problems, not try and half-arse it by forcibly bundling them together and spreading the Christchurch team (as that's what it'll be in reality) too thin in the process. That sort of lazy, ignorant, and tokenistic thinking needs to die.

The New Zealand warriors currently represent the whole of NZ in the NRL and they seem to be doing a decent job off the field in terms of getting big crowds and even selling out grounds in Christchurch, Hamilton, Napier and wellington.

 

[The Great Dane]

The New Zealand warriors currently represent the whole of NZ in the NRL and they seem to be doing a decent job off the field in terms of getting big crowds and even selling out grounds in Christchurch, Hamilton, Napier and wellington.

Yeah the New Zealand Warriors with their monopoly on the professional RL market in NZ do, and even then their presence outside of Auckland is largely token in real terms. Now how does that work out when you add more players to the mix?

The answer is that it doesn't and that each new player will eat into that market at least to some degree, while, hopefully, increasing demand in the larger cities for their own sides at the same time. There's also a massive difference between one side acting as the de facto side for the whole country, and two or more sides with amorphous poorly defined regions that they represent on paper but not in reality in any meaningful sense.

I came up with a better analogy; what you're suggesting is akin to a new team from Scotland that splits matches between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, etc, joining the EPL and trying to compete for audience with the Scottish Premiership sides like Celtic, Rangers, Heart, etc, without taking any consideration for the cultural differences and history between each of those cities. . . Good luck with that right!

Well in the same vein good luck competing with the Crusaders and Highlanders if the NRL side is playing half their home games all over the joint and attempting to be everything to everyone.

 

[Brian potter]

Yeah the New Zealand Warriors with their monopoly on the professional RL market in NZ do, and even then their presence outside of Auckland is largely token in real terms. Now how does that work out when you add more players to the mix?

The answer is that it doesn't and that each new player will eat into that market at least to some degree, while, hopefully, increasing demand in the larger cities for their own sides at the same time. There's also a massive difference between one side acting as the de facto side for the whole country, and two or more sides with amorphous poorly defined regions that they represent on paper but not in reality in any meaningful sense.

I came up with a better analogy; what you're suggesting is akin to a new team from Scotland that splits matches between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, etc, joining the EPL and trying to compete for audience with the Scottish Premiership sides like Celtic, Rangers, Heart, etc, without taking any consideration for the cultural differences and history between each of those cities. . . Good luck with that right!

Well in the same vein good luck competing with the Crusaders and Highlanders if the NRL side is playing half their home games all over the joint and attempting to be everything to everyone.

The overwhelming majority of home games will be played in Christchurch with 1 in Dunedin, 1 in Nelson and 1 in invercargill.

3 games is hardly half of the South Islands allotted home games .

 

[Perth Red]

Population size is irrelevant if these people recognise themselves as distinct groups, which like London and the other cities in the south of England, is true of Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson, etc.
You also don't seem to understand exactly how far Christchurch is from Dunedin, Nelson, etc. London is about 2 -2.30 hours from Bournemouth and Bristol respectively, on the other hand Christchurch is 4.30 hours from Dunedin and 5 hours from Nelson.

Christchurch/Canterbury and Dunedin/Otago wouldn't be interested in "sharing" an NRL side in any genuine sense of the term, in fact the concept would probably offend a lot of them, and Nelson and Invercargill aren't anywhere near big enough to support NRL sides even if they wanted them.

If you want to grow the sport in each city you'll need to find ways to make it work in each individual city by finding local solutions to local problems, not try and half-arse it by forcibly bundling them together and spreading the Christchurch team (as that's what it'll be in reality) too thin in the process. That sort of lazy, ignorant, and tokenistic thinking needs to die.

They could be like the dolphins, pretend they are going to represent an area then pull the pin after the first year!

 

[Perth Red]

The overwhelming majority of home games will be played in Christchurch with 1 in Dunedin, 1 in Nelson and 1 in invercargill.

3 games is hardly half of the South Islands allotted home games .

How would you think a team in SL would go if they called themselves Lancashire or yorkshire and played in 4 different cities in that county? You think they’d get much interest?

 

[Brian potter]

How would you think a team in SL would go if they called themselves Lancashire or yorkshire and played in 4 different cities in that county? You think they’d get much interest?

the overwhelming majority of teams in super league are based in Lancashire and Yorkshire already while New Zealand as a country would only be represented in the NRL by 2 teams.

plus the population of the South Island is only 1.3 million which gives RL fans less options of supporting a NZ based NRL team be it the warriors or the South Island keas/bulls/whatever.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

I think a CHCH based NRL team would have a fair shot at being adopted by the whole SI as 'their team'.

The Crusaders are a regional team themselves, stretching from Timaru all the way north to Nelson/Tasman and there's no shortage of Sader love in those areas, despite only ever hosting the odd game.

The SI are a funny lot. At the risk of generalising, they see themselves as having quite a distinct identity to the NI. Rural, hard working, salt of the earth type of thing. A bit like QLDers from what I've seen/read.

If NZ2 makes that part of their identity, they'll connect with the whole SI no problems. The # of games they play in each area is less important.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

the overwhelming majority of teams in super league are based in Lancashire and Yorkshire already while New Zealand as a country would only be represented in the NRL by 2 teams.

plus the population of the South Island is only 1.3 million which gives RL fans less options of supporting a NZ based NRL team be it the warriors or the South Island keas/bulls/whatever.

According to Perth Rat it's fine for two English counties to hold the majority of ESL licences, but a horrible sin for rugby league in Australia to be centred around two states.

 

[Canard]

According to Perth Rat it's fine for two English counties to hold the majority of ESL licences, but a horrible sin for rugby league in Australia to be centred around two states.

Obsessed to the point of mental illness

 

[Brian potter]

According to Perth Rat it's fine for two English counties to hold the majority of ESL licences, but a horrible sin for rugby league in Australia to be centred around two states.

Add in the fact that Queensland and NSW are in the top 3 of the most populous states in Australia and represented by NRL teams in some of the biggest cities/metropolitan areas in the country.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Add in the fact that Queensland and NSW are in the top 3 of the most populous states in Australia and represented by NRL teams in some of the biggest cities/metropolitan areas in the country.

Which is why AwFuL is desperate to gain marketshare in Queensland and New South Wales.

 

[Brian potter]

Canterbury crusaders lose again and the locals aren’t happy judging by a lot of the comments.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

christchurch and the South Island is ripe for NRL expansion. Are you listening PVL??

 

[Dark Corner]

Imagine if the board members of the Crusaders and Hurricanes defected to NRL teams set up in Christchurch and Wellington?

It's highly unlikely to happen, but if it did then the damage it would cause the NZRU would be priceless and Earth shattering.

I wish that the whole Rugby Union world apart from South Africa.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I wish that the whole Rugby Union world apart from South Africa.

South Africa is a crumbling state.

 

[Brian potter]

I wish that the whole Rugby Union world apart from South Africa.

Why not South Africa?

 

[Brian potter]

Which is why AwFuL is desperate to gain marketshare in Queensland and New South Wales.

With current teams or new expansion teams?

 

[Brian potter]

South Africa is a crumbling state.

South African RU or the country as a whole?

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

With current teams or new expansion teams?

Current teams.