Second New Zealand NRL franchise moves closer

It's been a good month for New Zealand rugby league. On the back of the Kiwis victory over Australia to clinch the Four Nations crown, a bid for a second New Zealand based NRL team has now been officially launched. While Australia have dominated much of international rugby league for much of the past few decades, New Zealand have now been a consistent challenger to the Kangaroos at the top of international rugby league since winning the 2005 Tri-Nations, and there has long been a call for a second team to be introduced into the NRL to join the Auckland-based New Zealand Warriors.

It's certainly tough to argue against New Zealand's influence in rugby league in recent times. After the Kiwis' 2005 Tri-Nations victory, New Zealand have continued to rack up major titles, winning the World Cup in 2008 before adding the 2010 and 2014 Four Nations crowns to their recent collection. While their international credentials can't be doubted, the country's influence on the NRL is highlighted by the 17.3% of players currently playing in the league being born in New Zealand.

The success of the Auckland Nines tournament and the Warriors winning three of the last five grand finals in the under-20 National Youth Competition hasn't hurt New Zealand's calls, and the consortium behind the potential franchise have come out to lay-out their plans for the Wellington-based club. The NRL is due to begin considering expansion next year but work has already begun as applications are being finalised, with it rumoured that official plans to explore the possibilities already well underway ahead of the 2018 expansion.

The members of the consortium behind the deal have maintained their anonymity during the early stages of the deal, although they have revealed the new team would be based in Wellington, with the plan understood to be that a successful bid would see the club enter the NRL in time for the 2018 season. While the franchise would be based in Wellington, it is believed that the team may also play matches in other North Island locations, including Rotorua, not to mention some initial plans to help build on the growing popularity of the game in the Pacific Islands.

Having a second NRL team in New Zealand could well be crucial to help rugby league fend off the growing interest of AFL in the country. St Kilda's commitment to stage an annual ANZAC Day match in Wellington up until at least 2018 has only helped AFL's popularity in New Zealand grow. With the 2017 World Cup set to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the timing of a new NRL club the following year would be perfect.

Despite New Zealand's triumph at this year's Four Nations, it wasn't a particularly good season for the Warriors in the NRL. A ninth place finish in the ladder may have been an improvement on recent seasons but it has now been three years since the Warriors made it to the play-offs and there aren't many visitors to bet365 who believe the Kiwis will start the 2015 season much stronger than they were this year.