The bid for a second New Zealand National Rugby League franchise "has received a significant boost," with the consortium signing a A$10M ($7.7M) deal with Christchurch's Celebration Lions Sports Trust to enter a feeder team in the NSW or Queensland Cup, according to Brad Walter of THE AGE. The agreement "gives the bid team a strong foothold in the South Island and will strengthen the new club's rivalry with the Auckland-based Warriors." Consortium spokesperson Robert Picone said the $10M 10-year deal, "which would see pre-season matches played at Porritt Park, further underpinned the financial viability of the bid." Picone said, "The arrangement our club has struck with the Lions Sports Trust is the last major piece in our bid. It provides the club with a long-term strong connection to the Canterbury region and a great base for our club." While NRL bosses remain tightlipped about expansion plans, they "have shown their commitment to the game in New Zealand by holding the launch for the coming season in Auckland on Thursday night and agreeing to stage the Nines at Eden Park for five years." A second New Zealand team based in Wellington and playing some games in Christchurch, and possibly Rotorua, "would capitalise on the rivalry between Auckland and the rest of the country" (THE AGE, 1/29).
