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Bulls, Stags Or Orcas? New details emerge on South Island NRL Bid
Alex Chapman • August 26th, 2026 3:14 pm
Photo: AAP/Photosport
Further details have emerged over one of the prospective South Island NRL teams, however contending ownership groups of the 20th team are in wait-and-see mode.
And the possibility of good news being delivered before the World Cup is seen as unlikely.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys last week confirmed that work is underway to determine where the next club should be based, with two South Island New Zealand and a Queensland bid at the heart of discussions for entry by as soon as 2029.
But while the various consortiums would prefer for a decision sooner rather than later, the likelihood of that happening before season’s end is dwindling, with one source suggesting to Sport Nation that V’landys “won’t want to make a decision while two big events are going.”
The NRL playoffs begin on September 11, with the grand final on October 4. The opening game of the World Cup is just 11 days later when the Kiwis face co-hosts Australia in Sydney. The tournament runs until November 15.
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Sport Nation understands the Southern Orcas team is the less-likely of the two South Island or Christchurch-based bid, given the Christchurch City Council’s association with the SINRL group.
As first revealed by Sport Nation in June, the Council has partnered with South Island NRL Bid Limited (SINRL), after the NRL told potential ventures they would need community backing, rather than relying solely on private ownership.
The SINRL group, which has been backed by wealthy local businessmen to stump up the $AU100 million ($NZ120m) five-year licence, has been modelled off the Perth Bears, who are due to enter the competition next year.
A working group has since been put in place in collaboration with Council, including former New Zealand Rugby League chair Reon Edwards, CCC’s head of recreation, sports and events Nigel Cox, ChristchurchNZ Chair Lauren Quaintance, and NZ Golf Open Partnerships Manager Michael Goldstein.
Sport Nation can reveal that among the leading contenders for the team’s monikers are the ‘Southern Bulls’ and the ‘Southern Stags’.
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Canterbury Rugby League has long been associated with the Bulls name, and given the ties the group has with CRL through ex-CEO Duane Fyfe, board director Darren Littlewood, and life member Frank Endacott, the Bulls been suggested as being the leading suitor.
The Bulls name would historically align with South Island representative rugby league teams as well, who have traditionally worn a predominantly white kit with a black ‘V’ on the jersey and black socks. That strays from other Christchurch-based sports sides who traditionally have had red and black colours, similar to those of the Perth NRL expansion side.
Meanwhile the $360 million Southern Orcas bid, led by former Kiwis coach Sir Graham Lowe and ex-NZRL chair Andrew Chalmers, has had private investment and would have assistance from the Carter Group. However, that bid is currently without Council alignment and assistance.
Ipswich is seen as another option, although the addition of a fifth Queensland club would upset powerbrokers in rugby league’s Sydney stronghold.
The Bears will enter the NRL next year, with Papua New Guinea becoming the 19th team in 2028.
