Christchurch's long-running campaign to land an NRL franchise has shifted gears. What began as mayoral letter-writing has evolved into genuine collaboration between the Christchurch City Council and the NRL.
NZ Herald has reported that Christchurch City Council has spent close to two years engaging with the NRL on practical steps needed to secure the competition's 20th licence, in documents.
Engagement has intensified in recent months, and the council's behind-the-scenes work is unfolding alongside a separate, high-profile push from the Southern Orcas.
There is also an ongoing drive by rugby league figures Sir Graham Lowe and Andrew Chalmers, exclusively reported by Zero Tackle in July.
The duo makes up the Orcas, a separate bid from the council's latest push.
That group has reportedly gone as far as to dangle a four-year head coaching contract in front of former All Blacks mentor Scott "Razor" Robertson, and is widely seen as the frontrunner among Christchurch-based proposals this year.
Talks accelerated after NRL representatives visited Christchurch in June. Following those sit-downs, council staff sketched out a roadmap toward an eventual bid, including engaging a consultant over a five-week window to help prepare formal documentation alongside the league.
That consultancy spend was earmarked to come out of the council's existing Recreation, Sport and Events budget, examining everything from club ownership structures and financial modelling to high-performance training facilities, grassroots programmes, fan engagement and the broader economic payoff for the city.
Venues Ōtautahi has separately supplied indicative hire rates for One New Zealand Stadium to three different parties chasing NRL bids, though those figures haven't been made public.
Council officials have stressed that any decision to formally push forward with a bid still rests with elected members.
The documents reveal the NRL wasn't ready to dive into specifics about individual bids during its June trip, which coincided with a Warriors-Cowboys fixture at the new One NZ Stadium in the city.
Instead, both sides used the visit to strengthen ties and explore what Christchurch could offer.
The itinerary reportedly stretched beyond the city itself, with plans for the visiting NRL staff also meeting government ministers in Wellington.
Locally, the schedule included tours of Christchurch's sporting infrastructure, a meeting with Mayor Phil Mauger, and a showcase of both the stadium and the city's rugby league credentials.
Council figures also asked the NRL directly how it would prefer to structure collaboration on any future submission.
An email sent on June 23 by Nigel Cox, the council's head of recreation, sports and events, points to ongoing conversations regarding finances with league officials as well.
Christchurch is no stranger to knockbacks on this front.
Several New Zealand consortiums have tried and failed to get an NRL Christchurch franchise off the ground in recent years.
Despite that track record, a privately backed Christchurch group is still actively pursuing the 20th licence.
It was announced last month that Carter Group would contribute 10 hectares of land near Rolleston, intended as the site of a multi-sport Centre of Excellence.
The facility would double as the team's permanent training home while remaining open to other elite sporting bodies.
The council has also had past dealings with a rival effort, the South Island NRL bid, linked to former Kiwis and Warriors coach Frank Endacott, ex-Christchurch East MP Poto Williams, and figures from Canterbury's rugby league scene.
Mayor Mauger's advocacy dates further back than recent activity.
In August 2024, he told an NRL executive the city was ready to "roll out the red carpet" to become home to the next franchise, pointing to the newly built stadium, backing from Venues Ōtautahi, ChristchurchNZ, and council support for a new high-performance venue.
A month later, he wrote directly to the Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman, pitching Christchurch for what was then framed as the NRL's 18th team.
The Orcas' last bid for an NRL license was shut down in 2024, with a reported value of $360 million two years ago.
In September 2025, Cox and ChristchurchNZ's then-general manager of destination and attraction, Loren Aberhart, opened what was described as a direct communication channel with the NRL.
As of June this year, ChristchurchNZ confirmed there was no formal request for a proposal on the table, but said talks with the league remained live, with the Council also not committed to formally launching a bid just yet.
The league's broader ambition is a 20-team competition, with the Perth Bears locked in for 2027 and the PNG Chiefs locked in for 2028.
Another team in Brisbane has also been floated for the remaining slot, adding to the competition for that 20th place.
New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron Green has pushed back against the idea of a second team in New Zealand, arguing the NRL needs a coherent growth strategy before adding another Kiwi team.
Ivan Cleary has echoed the same sentiment, urging the league to focus on strengthening the existing Warriors franchise before expansion.
