Christchurch Eyes 20th NRL Team | Auckland News

Christchurch is hot on the trail to land New Zealand’s next NRL team, with the city council actively negotiating for a potential 20th franchise after nearly two years of serious groundwork. Backed by big names like Sir Graham Lowe and even rumored to have offered Scott “Razor” Robertson a coaching role, the Southern Orcas are pushing hard — including plans for a multi-sport Centre of Excellence near Rolleston. While the NRL remains tight-lipped on specifics, they’ve met with Christchurch officials to gauge the city’s readiness, which boasts a new stadium and strong local support. With expansion already penciled in for Perth and possibly Papua New Guinea, Christchurch’s bid hangs in the balance — but the momentum is building fast. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7a5f573642f5c4d9