Christchurch NRL bid shrouded in secrecy, feasibility study under wraps

Christchurch’s bid for the NRL’s 20th team is being kept under wraps, with the city council refusing to reveal details of a feasibility study into the proposal.

The council has confirmed a feasibility study into Christchurch’s bid for the NRL’s 20th team is complete, but won’t say how long it took or what it found.

A council-backed group was set up earlier this year to explore bringing an NRL franchise to Christchurch.

The group includes former New Zealand Rugby League chair Reon Edwards, ChristchurchNZ chair Lauren Quaintance, Michael Goldstein and council staff.

The bid was initially launched by Southern Sporting Limited, which met with South Island Minister James Meager and Sport Minister Mark Mitchell in the past year.

SSL president Frank Endacott told Newstalk ZB last month the discussions were positive, and the council is now fronting the bid.

The council is withholding documents about the feasibility study, saying their release could “prejudice or disadvantage” its ability to carry out commercial activities.

It said the information will be reconsidered once the NRL has made a decision on the location of its 20th team, at the latest.

Council head of recreation, sports and events Nigel Cox said the process and decision on expansion ultimately rests with the NRL, which is best placed to answer questions about the process.

The NRL has not responded to multiple requests from Newstalk ZB.

The council has also confirmed it has not met with the Western Australian Government.

SSL has argued Christchurch may need a similar level of Government backing to the Perth Bears, whose entry into the NRL has been supported by tens of millions of dollars from the Western Australian Government.

The group told Meager earlier this year that the NRL was increasingly favouring government-backed models, pointing to Perth and Papua New Guinea.

But a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment briefing released to Newstalk ZB said the Government had historically had “very limited involvement” in professional trans-Tasman sport and did not make direct investments in teams.

Sport New Zealand also advised that it does not get involved in commercial organisations bidding to enter professional sporting competitions. It said any bid should be advanced in close discussion with New Zealand Rugby League.

Despite the lack of detail from council, Endacott said the council is now preparing to take the proposal to the NRL.

“We’ve got everything needed. It’s all put together, and that will be presented to the NRL shortly by the council,” he said.

Endacott expects a decision on the 20th team before Christmas.

He said the NRL’s stated ambition for the franchise to begin in 2029 meant a decision needed to come sooner rather than later.

“There’s been a lot of work put into this, by a lot of people, and we would love to see the rewards at the end of it,” Endacott said.

The NRL has the final say on whether another franchise is added to the competition, as reports of potential teams in Hamilton and Ipswich, Queensland, continue to circulate.

The Southern Orcas are also pursuing a team, although chair Sir Graham Lowe has previously said they are not involved with the council’s work.

Jaime Cunningham is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on education and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2023 after working as a sports reporter at the Christchurch Star.