Christchurch City Council is reportedly heading efforts to bring a second NRL club to New Zealand, with the bid said to combine two previously separate groups that had been competing for the franchise.
The council has declined to comment on the reports of the merged bid. Australian rugby league officials aim to expand the NRL to a 20-team competition by 2030.
A number of New Zealand groups have made unsuccessful bids for a Christchurch-based club in recent years.
Halswell councillor Andrei Moore expressed support for establishing an NRL team in the city, referencing Sunday's match at Te Kaha Stadium between the Warriors and Cowboys. "I can't recall seeing anything like the vibe we had on Sunday and there's no way we should only be doing this once a year," he said.
Moore said broader city benefits should outweigh loyalty to particular clubs. "I note, however, that the good of our city, the good of the game and future opportunities for kids in our city has to come before loyalties to any one single club," he said.
Former Warriors player James Maloney said a South Island team is a no-brainer for the league. "If you get a side in Christchurch, people will jump on board. They support [the Warriors] now because that's the only team they've got. But you'd see so many of them convert and go 'This is our team now'," Maloney said.