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NZ2 - Which city/cities/region?

NZ2 - Best Location

  • Christchurch

    Votes: 7 24.1%
  • Wellington

    Votes: 6 20.7%
  • Auckland 2

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • Christchurch/Wellington split

    Votes: 3 10.3%
  • South Island

    Votes: 4 13.8%
  • Hamilton

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • “Pacific” based in Auckland with links to Tonga/Samoa

    Votes: 2 6.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 10.3%

  • Total voters
    29

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
Wellington population 216,000
Sutherland shire population 234,000
You’re reading your statistics wrong there mate. That Wellington figure only includes Wellington City Council area but the actual Wellington Metroplitan area has double that population. Especially when you consider the location of the stadium, many suburbs which are technically part of Lower Hutt or Petone are closer to it than parts of Wellington. In terms of population within realistic distance for game attendance it’s probably around half a million if you include the Kapiti coast which is still within an approximate 50km radius all on motorway.
 
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Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
You’re reading your statistics wrong there mate. That Wellington figure only includes Wellington City Council area but the actual Wellington Metroplitan area has double that population. Especially when you consider the location of the stadium, many suburbs which are technically part of Lower Hutt or Petone are closer to it than parts of Wellington. In terms of population within realistic distance for game attendance it’s probably around half a million if you include the Kapiti coast which is still within an approximate 50km radius all on motorway.
Get beyond 30km and most people aren't going to the game would seem to be the NRL experience. Throw in the fact that its an oval and it is even less appealing. Realistically the catchment is probably somewhere in the 300-350k range.
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,331
Get beyond 30km and most people aren't going to the game would seem to be the NRL experience. Throw in the fact that its an oval and it is even less appealing. Realistically the catchment is probably somewhere in the 300-350k range.

Well going from Flippikat’s comments on Wellington (as a Wellingtonian? - I’m not sure that is the correct collective term) I’m not sure I’m super keen on a Wellington team.

Perhaps South Island would be the best option - they also would have an awesome stadium.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
Get beyond 30km and most people aren't going to the game would seem to be the NRL experience. Throw in the fact that its an oval and it is even less appealing. Realistically the catchment is probably somewhere in the 300-350k range.
Definitely more than that. The areas in question are well defined and all of Wellington, Porirua, and most of the Hutt Valley sit within 30km. The only borderline place is the Kapiti coast which is about 50km, but has direct connections via both rail and a brand new motorway connecting it. But Kapiti only accounts for 58,000 and isn’t part of metropolitan Wellington so excluding it still puts you at around 420K.

Christchurch is pretty easy to calculate too, all of the city and adjacent satellite towns pretty much sit within 30km so the quoted population for the city council are of 392K is probably pretty much what you’ve got to work with.
 
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Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,918
Get beyond 30km and most people aren't going to the game would seem to be the NRL experience. Throw in the fact that its an oval and it is even less appealing. Realistically the catchment is probably somewhere in the 300-350k range.
I lived in Welly for uni, people from the Kapiti and Wairarapa regularly travel to the city and vice versa. One thing about Wellington is the train service
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
I lived in Welly for uni, people from the Kapiti and Wairarapa regularly travel to the city and vice versa. One thing about Wellington is the train service
The Stadium location really helps there too. Makes it very easy to get to games from places as far afield as Palmy.
 

flippikat

Bench
Messages
4,378
You’re reading your statistics wrong there mate. That Wellington figure only includes Wellington City Council area but the actual Wellington Metroplitan area has double that population. Especially when you consider the location of the stadium, many suburbs which are technically part of Lower Hutt or Petone are closer to it than parts of Wellington. In terms of population within realistic distance for game attendance it’s probably around half a million if you include the Kapiti coast which is still within an approximate 50km radius all on motorway.
Precisely. The best way to describe Greater Wellington is "a city of 4 cities" - Wellington, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt & Porirua.. and you can easily add much of the Kapiti Coast District in there too as it's serviced by electrified commuter rail to Wellington AND now has a direct motorway to Wellington.
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,331
Precisely. The best way to describe Greater Wellington is "a city of 4 cities" - Wellington, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt & Porirua.. and you can easily add much of the Kapiti Coast District in there too as it's serviced by electrified commuter rail to Wellington AND now has a direct motorway to Wellington.

If that is the case what’s the population? Also mate you might have seen the deal fumbleball got. I think we’ll definitely need more money from your way
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,723
If that is the case what’s the population? Also mate you might have seen the deal fumbleball got. I think we’ll definitely need more money from your way
Money from broadcasters in NZ is never going to come close to filling that gap.

There's probably no catching up to the AFL at this point at all, at least not without selling our souls anyway. They're too far ahead in most regards, and decisions made over the last decade (particularly the last few years) have set the NRL, and by extension RL, back decades.

At this point everybody else will basically be waiting on the AFL to make mistakes that provide opportunities to catch up, and sooner or later they will make those mistakes, but I doubt that RL will be in a position to capitalise on them if the current philosophical orthodoxy maintains control over the NRL.
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,331
Money from broadcasters in NZ is never going to come close to filling that gap.

There's probably no catching up to the AFL at this point at all, at least not without selling our souls anyway. They're too far ahead in most regards, and decisions made over the last decade (particularly the last few years) have set the NRL, and by extension RL, back decades.

At this point everybody else will basically be waiting on the AFL to make mistakes that provide opportunities to catch up, and sooner or later they will make those mistakes, but I doubt that RL will be in a position to capitalise on them if the current philosophical orthodoxy maintains control over the NRL.

I agree. I said it tongue in cheek.
 

Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,918
The opening of Transmission Gully & the rail line are two things going for greater Wellington
 

flippikat

Bench
Messages
4,378
The opening of Transmission Gully & the rail line are two things going for greater Wellington
Not just that, but the motorway is being expanded to just north of Otaki as we speak - opening in next few months.

Plans are also underway to extend it as far north as Levin (next few years to build that).. and I imagine if National win next years election, a motorway to Palmerston North would be the next step.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
The opening of Transmission Gully & the rail line are two things going for greater Wellington
Yep I was alluding to that when I mentioned that you can really count Kapiti as effectively part of Wellington now for this purpose, as you've got a high speed motorway link directly to the stadium area, as well as the existing rail. So you've got an effective catchment of half a million or so.
 

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