A task force of inaugural committee members for the Southern Orcas have launched an audacious bid to become the NRL’s 18th team.
Rugby league legend Sir Graeme Lowe is heading up a formal proposal to win the license for a team based in Christchurch, New Zealand, as part of the NRL’s expansion plans.
Lowe, alongside rugby league veteran Peter Peters and businessman Andrew Chalmers, announced the $325 million proposal in Sydney on Thursday.
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“To the members of the media, thank you very much for coming along — you didn’t know what it was about, I couldn’t tell you, we were sworn to secrecy (from) six months ago, not to mention anything about the Southern Orcas bid,” Peters said.
“This was presented to the commission and, a couple of weeks ago, we were told to upgrade it.
“Well, upgrade it, we have. And that’s why we’ve called this conference today.”
Peters is hoping the Orcas bid blows that of rival groups away, including Papua New Guinea, which was the only one among a host of attempts that did not fail.
Another Christchurch-based bid came from South Island Kea, who were rejected, as were two others from the same region within New Zealand, as well another from the Western Bears group in Perth.
“I’ve been around rugby league for a long time, and I know there are no secrets in rugby league,” Peters said.
“But it seemed more of a coincidence today that a story about another bid from Christchurch made it into the Sydney media, with us travelling across the Tasman to be here today.
“So, still no secrets in rugby league, but that’s good. We know where we stand.”
Lowe, who coached the Kiwis, Manly, the North Queensland Cowboys and Queensland State of Origin, said the Orcas project is as excited as he’s felt in his 50-year association with the game, which also included being CEO of Manly.
“I was thinking back on some of the things I’ve been involved with over the years, and I couldn’t help but compare the excitement and the nervousness to, in 1991, when I had to fly up to Brisbane, in front of a whole troop in Brisbane, and explain to them how and why the QRL had replaced the great Arthur Beatson — who was a great mate of mine — with me, a Kiwi, as Queensland State of Origin coach,” Lowe said.
“I had that nervousness and excitement then, and I feel it now, I feel exactly that now. Because I know what can happen, I’ve seen the team that we’ve already got around us.
“I’ve heard different figures get bandied around, but we’re talking about a multiple-hundred million-dollar bid that will really get the notice of the NRL.
“We cannot see any reason at all why we can’t progress and do something really, really special. It’s just so exciting for the game.”
Plans for an advanced 20-hectare multi-sport centre of excellence around 15 minutes from the Christchurch city centre were unveiled at the announcement on Thursday, the project value of which is $100 million.
If successful, the Orcas would play home games at the city’s freshly minted 30,000-seat Te Kaha stadium, and a select few elsewhere around the country.
The task force also includes former NRL chief financial officer Ed Farish, former Gold Coast Titans CEO Michael Searle, former New Zealand representative player Phil Bergman, and former Canterbury Rugby League chairman Simon Doig.
“We expect that from day one, we will be testing and challenging the best teams in the competition,” Lowe said.
“We’ve got the staff and the expertise to put a competitive team on the field in week one.
“Christchurch is a city that loves sport and loves winners. We’re sure they will get behind the Orcas and that new stadium will be a cauldron of support where visiting teams will find it very hard to pick up a win.”