Where would a second NZ team play?

[Matua]

What happened to the hurricanes ? Or whatever the Wellington super rugby side was

do you think the average staidum has played a part

Nah, when the Canes were hugely popular they played in the same Stadium (it really isn't that bad to watch matches in aside from the lack of roof), but they lost support during the Hammett era (an awful coach from Canterbury) and then burned off the provincial support (they used to have buses going up to each game from Hawkes Bay) by being too Wellington focused.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Yeah, that's a big risk for Christchurch-based side, could easily be just a Christchurch-supported side.. plus the Crusaders are a huge presence there, so a tough task carving a niche for an NRL team there.

Problem is the other prime candidate - my city Wellington - just doesn't have a great record of sporting success or active fan engagement. Dunno whether we're too metropolitan/arty, or if it's the "lovable loser" experience that makes us less emotionally invested in our teams or what it is.

The A-League team in Wellington has done better than the one that was in Auckland.

 

[flippikat]

The A-League team in Wellington has done better than the one that was in Auckland.

I think a factor there is that it's a summer league, so even if it's windy & rainy at least it's not windy rainy & cold.

 

[flippikat]

Nah, when the Canes were hugely popular they played in the same Stadium (it really isn't that bad to watch matches in aside from the lack of roof), but they lost support during the Hammett era (an awful coach from Canterbury) and then burned off the provincial support (they used to have buses going up to each game from Hawkes Bay) by being too Wellington focused.

Yep, and the I think that sort of attitude towards partner-provinces in the Hurricanes resulted in Taranaki (the province based around New Plymouth) actually jumping ship from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs.

I think there was even a push from Hawkes Bay to carve-off as a 6th NZ Super Rugby team a few years ago.

 

[flippikat]

do you think the average staidum has played a part

It's a reasonable enough multi-use stadium, but the shame is that it was built just before the multi-use concept went out of fashion - Dunedin & now Christchurch have moved away from that and towards separate cricket & footy grounds.

Having a roof has become popular too, especially given the harshness of our winters.

If we'd built that Wellington stadium a little later, it may have been so much better for footy, given trends since the late 1990s.

 

[The Daddy3]

Waikato itself very similar- 515K in the region and the vast bulk of those within an hour of Hamilton. Plus another 350K in the adjoining Bay of Plenty region a little over an hour away.


Cantabrians are probably the most parochial people in NZ- if it was based primarily in Christchurch you'd probably just brand it as a Christchurch or Canterbury team.

If Waikato and Christchurch have a similar number in terms of population why do most people favour a team located in Christchurch? What's wrong with Waikato?

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think a factor there is that it's a summer league, so even if it's windy & rainy at least it's not windy rainy & cold.

Any chance of a Wellington-based NRL club leading to a new rectangular stadium built in the city?

 

[MugaB]

If Waikato and Christchurch have a similar number in terms of population why do most people favour a team located in Christchurch? What's wrong with Waikato?

Correct, it also creates a "local" derby that could be able to sell out due to the closeness of distance, many Auckland fans would travel to see the nz2 in action, less would do it if the team was in Wellington or Christchurch, as i pointed out before you could expand to those regions later on, but to grow league where its already strong is a smarter avenue for an NZ2 expansion... a bit like the Broncos/Dolphins

 

[Brian potter]

If Waikato and Christchurch have a similar number in terms of population why do most people favour a team located in Christchurch? What's wrong with Waikato?

The city of Christchurch has more than twice the population of Hamilton and from what I believe a bigger rivalry with Auckland compared to Waikato.

my personal preference would be Christchurch/south island but I’d support NZ2 wherever it’s based apart from Auckland and as long as it’s not a pasifika themed team.

 

[Matua]

Yep, and the I think that sort of attitude towards partner-provinces in the Hurricanes resulted in Taranaki (the province based around New Plymouth) actually jumping ship from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs.

I think there was even a push from Hawkes Bay to carve-off as a 6th NZ Super Rugby team a few years ago.

The irony with the Naki jumping ship is they were the favoured province in the Canes, there was always a number of Naki players in the team. The Magpies should have jumped ship as we had about 6 players in the Chiefs at the time.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If Waikato and Christchurch have a similar number in terms of population why do most people favour a team located in Christchurch? What's wrong with Waikato?

Because the Waikato is right next door to Auckland and would cannibalise the Warriors market. Many fans drive up from the Waikato for Warriors games- Hamilton is only an hour up the motorway these days.

Wellington and Christchurch are both way too far away for fans to come for game day cheaply and easily.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Any chance of a Wellington-based NRL club leading to a new rectangular stadium built in the city?

Maybe in another 20 years or so but the current stadium is only 20 years or so old.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The city of Christchurch has more than twice the population of Hamilton

True, though Hamilton has a much larger regional population nearby which evens it out q

and from what I believe a bigger rivalry with Auckland compared to Waikato.

also true. There’s a significant rivalry with Waikato but Cantanbrians can get to the point where they downright hate Auckland. Aucklanders don’t give a shit about anyone south of the Bombay hills though

my personal preference would be Christchurch/south island but I’d support NZ2 wherever it’s based apart from Auckland and as long as it’s not a pasifika themed team.

the Warriors are kinda already a Pasifika themed team so already have that market kinda cornered. So I doubt that’d work there anyway

 

[Matua]

The city of Christchurch has more than twice the population of Hamilton and from what I believe a bigger rivalry with Auckland compared to Waikato.

my personal preference would be Christchurch/south island but I’d support NZ2 wherever it’s based apart from Auckland and as long as it’s not a pasifika themed team.

Any rugby league team in NZ is going to be Pasifika themed. Your best hope for otherwise is a team based in Chch and filled with Aussies.

 

[MugaB]

True, though Hamilton has a much larger regional population nearby which evens it out q

Don't forget the access from both bay of plenty and Auckland, to get to Waikato, that amount of population is half the nation of NZ
Im not sure having a Christchurch based team, will benefit to game of RL yet, having a Hamilton based team spreading from the north to Wellington then Christchurch eventually seems better than plonking one so far south away from the warriors

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If it was a Hamilton based team I’d split home games between Hamilton and Rotorua (and Tauranga if the stadium situation there is viable) on an 8/4 split. Only an hour apart so wouldn’t really affect membership viability as season pass holders could easily travel between them, and would really cement the team as representing the whole Waikato/Bop region.