NZ II Expansion Confirmed in Auckland

[Sports Prophet]

Who’d have thought it, the A-League would have a second NZ side before the NRL would.

They have managed to recruit US billionaire owner of the Las Vegas Knights and Bournemouth FC to head up a new A-League team to start in the 2024/25 season. 

It’s hard to fathom how such a sports entrepreneur and expansionist would see A-League as the pacific destination of his growing portfolio.

[Damien]

You had me all excited then!

In the Football world the A-League and particularly New Zealand is a real dead end.

[HawkMan]

I've googled soccer participation in New Zealand and pasted this: It might explain it.

 

More people play football than any other sport in New Zealand. Netball is the most popular women's sport, enjoying strong support from grassroots level right up to our world-leading national team, the Silver Ferns. Basketball is also a sport widely admired in New Zealand.14 Jul 2022

 

Football in New Zealand experiences sustained growth in participation through a focus on quality. More New Zealanders feature in the global professional game. All participants across our game indicate an increase in the quality of their experience as evidenced by Sport NZ's Voice of Participant survey.

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by HawkMan

[gingerjon]

Weird one but I imagine the level of investment is low and there is the whole dodging financial fair play rules for your main team that you can do as well if you have a secondary team or two.

[Sports Prophet]

3 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

I've googled soccer participation on New Zealand and pasted this:

 

More people play football than any other sport in New Zealand. Netball is the most popular women's sport, enjoying strong support from grassroots level right up to our world-leading national team, the Silver Ferns. Basketball is also a sport widely admired in New Zealand.14 Jul 2022

You could replace the words New Zealand with Australia and Silver Ferns with Diamonds and that statement would be accurate.

[Sports Prophet]

8 minutes ago, Damien said:

You had me all excited then!

In the Football world the A-League and particularly New Zealand is a real dead end.

Yeah, sorry bout the click bait, but I thought it an interesting story in light NRL expansion is an ever present topic of discussion amongst Aussie RL circles.

[Gomersall]

I can’t imagine where this thread might end up.

[Tommygilf]

2 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

It’s hard to fathom how such a sports entrepreneur and expansionist would see A-League as the pacific destination of his growing portfolio.

 

2 hours ago, Damien said:

You had me all excited then!

In the Football world the A-League and particularly New Zealand is a real dead end.

City football group have a team there too, 2nd of their clubs? I think Melbourne Storm were involved in that one actually.

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Tommygilf said:

 

City football group have a team there too, 2nd of their clubs? I think Melbourne Storm were involved in that one actually.

Third - I think NYC FC were ahead of Melbourne.

[Tommygilf]

Just now, gingerjon said:

Third - I think NYC FC were ahead of Melbourne.

Correct yes

[Exiled Wiganer]

Is this still the general rugby league forum?

[The Future is League]

This should be in the another sports forum, not the Rugby League forum

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Google A league crowds for NZ. I rest my case

[HawkMan]

36 minutes ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

Google A league crowds for NZ. I rest my case

The attendance figures seem very similar to Super League ,Wellington isn't great tbf.

 

Club	Total	Average
Total:	197,999	8,250
SYD	14,586	14,586
MVC	39,475	13,158
ADL	33,044	11,015
WSW	28,537	9,512
BRI	7,688	7,688
MCY	21,104	7,035
CCM	13,630	6,815
PER	13,390	6,695
WEL	13,104	6,552
NEW	5,166	5,166
MAC	5,865	2,933
WUN	2,410	2,410

Edited November 22, 2023 by HawkMan

[gingerjon]

43 minutes ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

Google A league crowds for NZ. I rest my case

What case is that?

[EggFace]

Auckland used to have a club in the a-league.........I believe in time that NRL could support a team in Christchurch and even Wellington.

[Keith989]

1 hour ago, HawkMan said:

The attendance figures seem very similar to Super League ,Wellington isn't great tbf.

 

Club	Total	Average
Total:	197,999	8,250
SYD	14,586	14,586
MVC	39,475	13,158
ADL	33,044	11,015
WSW	28,537	9,512
BRI	7,688	7,688
MCY	21,104	7,035
CCM	13,630	6,815
PER	13,390	6,695
WEL	13,104	6,552
NEW	5,166	5,166
MAC	5,865	2,933
WUN	2,410	2,410

Don't a lot of Aussies support Premiership clubs? Is it a similar situation to Ireland where domestic attendances aren't great but the general interest in soccer is very high? 

[Irish Saint]

1 hour ago, Keith989 said:

Don't a lot of Aussies support Premiership clubs? Is it a similar situation to Ireland where domestic attendances aren't great but the general interest in soccer is very high? 

The FAI Cup Final attracted a crowd of over 43,000 at the Aviva Stadium  to see St. Pat's defeat Bohemians a couple of weeks ago.

[HartwoodHarvard]

5 hours ago, Keith989 said:

Don't a lot of Aussies support Premiership clubs? Is it a similar situation to Ireland where domestic attendances aren't great but the general interest in soccer is very high? 

Yeah way more support for Prem than A-League. I wouldn't say general interest is very high though, you wouldn't expect someone to follow a soccer team like you would an NRL/AFL side, no ones ever asked me if ive been keeping up with the soccer results. Unless the Women's or Men's WC is on then that's all anyone here talks about for a month

[The Rocket]

4 hours ago, HartwoodHarvard said:

Yeah way more support for Prem than A-League. I wouldn't say general interest is very high though, you wouldn't expect someone to follow a soccer team like you would an NRL/AFL side, no ones ever asked me if ive been keeping up with the soccer results. Unless the Women's or Men's WC is on then that's all anyone here talks about for a month

I was shocked when I saw on the news the other night that the A-League comp had been running for several weeks, the lack of media coverage is quite astounding, and that`s from someone who reads two papers a day and watched the news on Tv.

[Copa]

11 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

I was shocked when I saw on the news the other night that the A-League comp had been running for several weeks, the lack of media coverage is quite astounding, and that`s from someone who reads two papers a day and watched the news on Tv.

I had no idea it was on until I read your post, and I read the media every day.

I now see they’re adding a second division! That’s brave for a cash strapped sport in a country with no P&R sporting culture. The travel costs for the second division clubs will be quite a financial hit.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Copa

[The Rocket]

7 minutes ago, Copa said:

I had no idea it was on until I read your post, and I read the media every day.

I now see they’re adding a second division! That’s brave for a cash strapped sport in a country with no P&R sporting culture. The travel costs for the second division clubs will be quite a financial hit.

Yeah got me thinking that maybe I`m just so tuned out of A-League that possibly there has been articles but they just haven`t registered when browsing through the sports` pages headlines. Very concerning for the soccer though that lack of cut through.

 

[The Rocket]

19 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Who’d have thought it, the A-League would have a second NZ side before the NRL would.

They have managed to recruit US billionaire owner of the Las Vegas Knights and Bournemouth FC to head up a new A-League team to start in the 2024/25 season. 

It’s hard to fathom how such a sports entrepreneur and expansionist would see A-League as the pacific destination of his growing portfolio.

SP I can`t always help but feel with your posts sometimes there is a little bit of schadenfreude towards Rugby League in this country, do you do the same on the fumbleball forums, probably not - there I`ll answer for you.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

I had no idea it was on until I read your post, and I read the media every day.

I now see they’re adding a second division! That’s brave for a cash strapped sport in a country with no P&R sporting culture. The travel costs for the second division clubs will be quite a financial hit.

I just checked. Average A-League attendance so far is 60% up on two seasons ago, and now at a level where it's close to Super League (8,500 v 9,200). So clearly some people know.

As I've said before, they do seem to have realised there is no benefit at all to paying over the odds for fading stars and seem more comfortable being mostly a development league. That plus the boost from AFC Champions League and internationals, providing they don't ever have another brain ache, should see them right for a while.

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, The Rocket said:

I was shocked when I saw on the news the other night that the A-League comp had been running for several weeks

 

1 hour ago, Copa said:

I had no idea it was on until I read your post, and I read the media every day.

In my quiet moments @The Future is League  it`s the sort of future I dream of for rugby union in this country one day.