CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership all set for 2026 kick-off
Canterbury Rugby League is proud to announce marquee and event equipment rental company Happy Hire as naming rights sponsor for this season’s CRL Women’s Premiership.
The 2026 CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership gets underway this Sunday, May 10.
“Canterbury Rugby League is excited to have Happy Hire as naming rights sponsor for the CRL senior women’s competition,” CRL CEO Malcolm Humm says.
“Whilst the number of females playing rugby league in Canterbury increases and our female representative teams become more competitive on the national stage, we are grateful for such a quality business as Happy Hire to throw their support behind the highest level of female competition CRL offers.”
The five-team CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership commences with a blockbuster clash between two-time defending champs Sydenham Swans and 2024 grand finalists Hornby Panthers at Bradford Park, while Eastern Eagles host Shirley Hawks at Wainoni Park.
Both matches kick off at 1pm on Sunday. Perennial contenders and 2025 runners-up Linwood Keas have the Round 1 bye.
Happy Hire’s partnership with Canterbury Rugby League began in 2023, when the event infrastructure specialists – who started operating in Christchurch more than a decade ago and now have branches in Dunedin, Wellington and Hamilton – came on-board as the first-ever naming rights sponsor of CRL Grand Final Day.
“We’ve loved backing CRL through Grand Final Day, and supporting the Women’s Premiership felt like the right next step,” Happy Hire founder and Chief Happiness Officer Jason Roberts enthuses.
“The women’s game has real momentum behind it and we wanted to get behind that in a meaningful way. It also reflects our wider support of NZRL and the National Premiership, so for us it’s about backing rugby league at every level.
“There’s real energy around the women’s game right now, from grassroots through to the NRLW, and that’s exciting to see. More visibility, stronger pathways and greater opportunity is good for the whole game – we’re proud to play a part in supporting that growth.”
With over 14,000 satisfied customers and nearly three-quarters of a million products hired, Happy Hire provide the best-quality hire products – including marquees, lighting and sound equipment, furniture, glassware and catering – for the best prices.
From Polyfest, Field Days and weddings, to corporate events and birthday parties, and large-scale sporting events such as CRL Grand Final Day, Happy Hire are the go-to equipment hire outfit for every event, big or small.
“Happy Hire is about helping make things happen,” Roberts explains.
“We support many event sectors with the equipment and service to get the job done properly. We’re a local business, we value relationships and we pride ourselves on being reliable, easy to deal with and willing to step up when it matters.”
Roberts provided an insight into his experiences to date working with the local rugby league community, a relationship that will continue to thrive courtesy of the CRL Happy Hire Women’s Premiership.
“What stands out is the quality of the people,” he praises.
“There’s a lot of passion, hard work and community spirit throughout the game. We’ve built strong links with local clubs and seen firsthand the effort that goes into keeping them moving, including the fundraising initiatives that help make so much of it possible.
“That’s something we really connect with, because being involved in rugby league means being part of the wider family around the game, not just what happens on the field.
“As Happy Hire continues to grow around the country, we’re always looking at ways to support strong local initiatives through our other branches, too. We also like thinking outside the box about how we can help, whether that’s through sponsorship, practical support, strategy advice…or just some guidance around your NRL Fantasy picks!
“For us, it’s about backing good people, good clubs and good communities.”
To enquire with Happy Hire about lending a hand with your event, head to their website or give them a call on 0800 30 90 30.
