CRL BOARD STATEMENT: RUGBY LEAGUE PARK
Tēnā koutou e te hapori rīki o Waitaha. Warm greetings to our whānau and our wider sporting community in Waitaha, Canterbury.
Last night, Councillor Andrei Moore shared an honest and important message about the future of Apollo Projects Stadium, historically and proudly known to us all as Rugby League Park.
Andrei’s reflections acknowledge something our community has lived with for more than a decade: that Canterbury Rugby League made a significant sacrifice for our city after the earthquakes, and our community has felt the long-term impacts ever since.
Today, I am responding on behalf of the Canterbury Rugby League Board to support Councillor Moore’s message, provide clarity and affirm the expectations we hold as we enter this critical period of decision-making with Christchurch City Council.
Our story must be honoured
Following the earthquakes, CRL surrendered our long-term lease 30 years early, allowing the city to build a temporary stadium at Addington so major events could continue during the rebuild. That surrender was always meant to be temporary, as our lease ran through to 2044.
Consequently, our decision helped Ōtautahi host All Blacks Tests, international concerts, community events, and thousands of unforgettable moments. We did the right thing for our city. We embodied our commitment to manaakitanga, community and the collective wellbeing of our beautiful city.
But the price our sporting community paid was significant.
CRL lost:
- Critical income streams including bar/kitchen revenue, stadium hire, event hire (including large-scale events like Monster Trucks) and storage rental
- Our dedicated gym, once a pivotal hub for the ongoing development and hauora of our players
- Access to the home base we had financially invested in over decades
- Increased operating costs at our new home, Ngā Puna Wai.
Our new home, Ngā Puna Wai
We want to be absolutely clear that Canterbury Rugby League is grateful for our new home at Ngā Puna Wai. It is a high-quality, modern facility, and we value the partnership that has allowed us to deliver rugby league in a safe and well-supported environment. Our teams, whānau and volunteers have embraced the space, and it has provided a stable base during a very challenging period in our history.
However, moving to Ngā Puna Wai has also come with significant cost increases for our organisation.
When we left Rugby League Park after the earthquakes, we lost the core revenue streams that once sustained our community sport, including income from our bar and kitchen, stadium hire, event hire and storage rentals. At Ngā Puna Wai, while the facility is excellent, we do not have access to those same income-generating assets. At the same time, our operating costs have increased, meaning we now carry greater financial pressure with fewer ways to offset it.
The combination of higher costs and reduced revenue has had a profound impact on our organisation. It affects our staffing, our ability to grow programmes, and our capacity to support our rapidly expanding community of players, coaches and whānau.
We remain appreciative of Ngā Puna Wai and we value the opportunities it provides. But it is important for the wider community and decision-makers to understand that, without the revenue streams we previously relied on, Canterbury Rugby League has been left in a much more vulnerable financial position, despite doing the right thing for our city post-quakes.
A new era of growth for Rugby League
Historically, rugby league has sat in the shadow of rugby and not held the same level of visibility, influence or resourcing in this region. Our whānau have felt those effects over many years. Yet the reality in 2024 paints a very different picture.
Across nearly every measure, our game is booming.
According to the 2024 Sport Canterbury Report:
- CRL membership is at its highest on record, with 3,562 members
- Rugby league is the fastest-growing major field sport in Canterbury – up 21.5% in a single year
- Every age and gender category grew
- Primary school league has exploded from 24 teams to 42 teams in just one year
- Women and girls’ participation continues to accelerate
In addition to our local game development, every Warriors match in Ōtautahi sells out, proof that our community is large, passionate and deeply connected to our game.
And with ongoing conversations about a South Island NRL team, Canterbury Rugby League will inevitably play an essential role in that future, but that will mean we must be properly resourced and not structurally disadvantaged.
Our requests to the Christchurch City Council
In light of all the above, Canterbury Rugby League respectfully requests the following:
1. Full and formal engagement with CRL by Christchurch City Council
Given that our lease was intended to run until 2044 and our surrender was temporary, we request to be directly engaged in all decisions regarding the future of Rugby League Park.
2. Fair financial recognition and restoration
CRL should not continue to be left worse off for having supported our city.
This includes recognition of:
- our decades of financial contributions to the site
- the loss of income and assets resulting from the temporary surrender
- the ongoing financial operating costs for our organisation as we continue to grow exponentially
We support the exploration of a Rugby League Park Trust, similar to what occurred with Carlaw Park in Auckland, to secure the long-term future of rugby league in Ōtautahi.
3. Cultural and spiritual respect for the legacy of Rugby League Park
For many whānau, Rugby League Park is a resting place for loved ones whose ashes were laid on that whenua. Any transition this whenua might take in the future, we request that appropriate tikanga is upheld with care and respect for those whānau who laid their loved ones there to rest.
To our league community – we need you with us!
As we prepare to engage with Christchurch City Council, it is vital that the strength, love and passion of our rugby league community is visible and undeniable.
How You Can Help
- Like and share Councillor Andrei Moore’s post across your platforms.
- Share your stories, memories, photos and experiences of Rugby League Park – let the city see why this place matters to you.
- Speak up: comment, tag Councillors and show your support in respectful ways.
- Sign and share our petition (to be released shortly) calling for fair recognition and engagement.
- Stand with us, your voice genuinely matters in this moment.
We want the Council to see the true size of our community, the depth of our history and the future potential of our sport.
In closing
Canterbury Rugby League has served this city for more than a century. We have lifted generations, provided pathways for tamariki and rangatahi, and built a proud legacy of resilience, whanaungatanga and passion.
We are not asking for special treatment.
- We are asking for fairness.
- We are asking for recognition.
- We are asking for restoration of what was lost when we chose to support Ōtautahi in its time of need.
Our sport is growing. Our community is growing. Our future is bright. And we are ready to stand together.
E tū e te hapori rīki ki Waitaha!
Janelle Riki-Waaka
Deputy Chair, Canterbury Rugby League Board
