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Live sport on SN this weekend‘A different audience into rugby’: Blues CEO on Auckland’s Super Round vision
Sport Nation • May 1st, 2026 12:55 pm
Eden Park | Photo: Photosport
The 2026 Super Round was a massive success in Christchurch, with a sold-out crowd and fans from all over the world flocking to the newly built Te Kaha stadium.
But as the dust settles, the big question remains: where will next year’s event be held?
Blues CEO Karl Budge, who joined Sport Nation Mornings on Friday, is keen to bring the spectacle to Auckland, with Eden Park and the city’s atmosphere offering a chance to take Super Round to new heights.
“It was a rip-roaring success down there, I’ve never seen so many Blues jerseys in Christchurch." Budge laughs.
“It was great to see that level of fandom, amazing for Christchurch to have that new stadium.
“I thought it delivered an incredible couple of days, and it certainly inspired us to go, ‘Gosh, how do we go bigger and better than that and put our own Auckland spin on it?’”
Budge believes Auckland’s unique position makes it the ideal city to elevate Super Round.
“I think we can deliver an experience and a commercial model that nowhere else in New Zealand can. We are the biggest city, the economic engine of this country, and in reality, we set the social norms more than anywhere else.”
Izzy's glowing review of the Te Kaha experience | Scotty & Izzy
But he acknowledges that the city of sails would need to put its own twist on the event.
“We definitely couldn’t do it the same way as Christchurch. We would have to do it really differently. But I think that’s what’s exciting.
"I look at some of the biggest sporting events around the world, and the core product is only part of the entertainment experience. I think it would have to be something that we fully take over.”
Budge envisions a dynamic, multi-faceted event at Eden Park, with a mix of sport, music, food, and culture coming together to create an unforgettable atmosphere.
“Even (involving) the Eden Park Outer Oval… it’s part Super Round, part music festival, part Easter Show, part art, part food show.”
“We would have to bring all those elements together into one area. If we did that well, it would be an absolutely spectacular occasion and bring a different audience into rugby, which is something I think we’re all looking for on a regular basis.”
Listen to the full interview:
