'Origin equivalent': Push for second New Zealand team

The recent success of the Warriors could see the NRL bring in a second New Zealand franchise, potentially setting up the country's equivalent to State of Origin.

That is the suggestion of a new consortium trying to make South Island Kea the 18th team in the world's premier rugby league competition.

With head honchos Peter V'landys and Andrew Abdo both expressing their desire to include an 18th team in the coming years, there have been plenty of potential destinations suggested to host a new NRL club.

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Perth, Queensland and Papua New Guinea have all been touted as potential front-runners, but the growing interest in the 13-man code in New Zealand could prompt the league's chief decision-makers to cash in.

South Island Kea are pushing to join the Warriors - who are based in Auckland - in the competition and according to the bid's leader, David Moffatt, it could usher in a new era of Kiwi rugby league.

"If the opening game of the 2026 or 2027 season … was going to be the Warriors vs the Kea, I could sell 50,000 tickets in a 25,000-seat stadium tomorrow," he told SEN.

"It's going to be the equivalent of State of Origin when we play them.

"The game has never been on a higher note than right now. Competition is a great thing … we'll put the very best bid we can forward."

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Moffat revealed the team would be based in Christchurch and play out of the new Te Kaha Stadium, which holds close to 30,000 spectators.

While the Kea aren't the only bid in the region, Moffat urged the NRL to bring one of them into the league for the betterment of the sport in New Zealand.

"Whoever gets it has to get over the line for the benefit of Christchurch and rugby league and the NRL," he said.

The potential of a second Kiwi team has previously been warned against by Warriors coach Andrew Webster, who believes it would "dilute" the product of the game, but there is growing support for a Christchurch-based entry to the NRL.

South Island Kea would employ a hybrid-cooperative model, which has been used by the Green Bay Packers, allowing fans and investors to own a percentage of the club.

Moffat believes that system would be "powerful" for all parties and hopes to set up a meeting with V'landys and Abdo in the coming weeks.