NRL shelves 20-team expansion plans until after 2032 Brisbane Olympics

Hopes for further rugby league expansion into Queensland have suffered a crushing blow, with the NRL shelving plans for a 20-team competition until after the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The NRL has shelved a 20-team competition until after the 2032 Brisbane Olympics in a crushing blow to Queensland and New Zealand’s hopes of clinching an expansion licence.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo told this masthead the governing body is in no rush to add a 20th team in the wake of plans to add the Perth-based Bears to the competition in 2027.

By 2028, the NRL will have 19 teams with the birth of Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific expansion project was seen as a preamble to a 20th franchise joining the big league in 2030 or 2032.

But it is understood the NRL clubs were told at a meeting on Thursday that the ARLC has no plans for a 20th team during the next broadcast cycle, expected to run from 2028-32.

The NRL has shelved plans for a 20-team competition in the wake of plans to add the Perth-based Bears to the competition in 2027.

Just last year, the NRL touted major growth in New Zealand and identified Christchurch as an expansion region, while Queensland is eyeing a fifth franchise via a Jets bid in Brisbane’s western corridor.

But the NRL is satisfied with a 19-team competition, with the Bears and Papua New Guinea giving the ARLC additional bargaining power as they prepare for TV rights talks in the coming weeks.

“At this particular point in time we are focused on the 19th team (PNG) and Western Australia,” Abdo told News Corp on Friday.

“There is no other business case that we are considering for further expansion.

“New Zealand is still a key market for us, very much so.

“We have big plans for New Zealand in terms of making sure we continue to grow, particularly the pathways system.

“This is a big year for us because we have the NRLW franchise at the Warriors.

“The growth and popularity of the sport at the elite level, we want to take advantage of that and capitalise further and provide even stronger pathways for young New Zealanders, boys and girls, to play rugby league, whether it’s touch, tag or tackle.”

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo says there are no plans for further expansion, but admits New Zealand is a key market for rugby league. Picture: Getty Images

The NRL won’t accept mediocre bids and League Central bosses have been far from impressed with the expansion submissions made by up to four proposed New Zealand consortia.

Christchurch was viewed as the perfect destination for a 20th team, but the heat is on the prospective bid teams to satisfy the NRL’s expansion demands.

A 20-team league would give the NRL 10 matches per week, two more than it currently offers broadcasters with a 17-team competition.

The addition of the Bears and PNG equates to nine fixtures per round and ARLC boss Peter V’landys is still confident that will give the code added strength at the TV rights negotiating table.

Former NRL boss David Moffett, who has headed up South Island Kea’s bid to have a team in Christchurch, has slammed the decision to delay expanding to 20 teams.

Moffett has been working hard to get another Kiwi team across the line but has been left frustrated by the process.

“The only people doing handstands of this are the Warriors and New Zealand Rugby,” Moffett said.

“I am surprised they are going to take it out until at least 2032. They will be running at an odd number of teams for that period of time

“We are here and we are ready to go.

“We could be up and running by 2027. We would have the best stadium in the NRL with two covered stadiums.

“If they are putting all their eggs in the Warriors basket, then it is a huge blow.”

Former NRL boss David Moffett has head up the Kea’s bid but has been left frustrated by the process.

Despite the setback, Moffett has vowed to fight on in the hope of bringing a second team to New Zealand.

“We will continue to work in the background and we think we could come up with a significantly increased financial offer but we need to know if they are going to be fair dinkum,” Moffett said.

“There is no point in us going out and finding lots of money if we aren’t going to be taken seriously.

“By 2032, rugby in New Zealand would have its stuff together.

“If they want to take on rugby in New Zealand, now is the time.”

Nick Livermore from the Brisbane Bombers and Steve Johnson from the Ipswich Jets joined forces in 2021 to bid for an NRL licence. Picture: Richard Walker

Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin last week appealed for the NRL not to abandon Brisbane’s western corridor.

“I have no doubt a Brisbane western-corridor team would be ready for 2027, absolutely,” Ikin said.

“The western-corridor is set up for success now.

“If the NRL is looking at operational readiness, that’s the next choice for the game.

“This area can’t be ignored by the NRL.”

Originally published as NRL shelves 20-team expansion plans until after 2032 Brisbane Olympics