National Rugby League Clubs Target New Zealand Provinces To Increase Sport's Reach

Rugby league fans outside Auckland, New Zealand can expect to see more National Rugby League games "in their backyards from next year, as a major push goes into increasing the reach of the sport in New Zealand," according to Sarah Harvey of the SUNDAY NEWS. A number of cities, including Dunedin, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton, "are in line to host games, with Australian NRL clubs said to be lining up to bring potentially lucrative fixtures to New Zealand crowds." NRL Commercial & Marketing Dir Paul Kind "visited Auckland recently to speak with the Warriors about where they were likely to play future games, but also continued ongoing discussions with venue management throughout the country." Kind: "There is certainly interest from Australian-based clubs to play matches in New Zealand" (SUNDAY NEWS, 5/18).