Organisers of next week's Auckland Nines tournament admit they have a fight on their hands, and they may need the Government's help to keep the tournament in New Zealand.
It comes after reports Australian tourism officials are preparing to poach the event.
The Aussies have a history of claiming New Zealand successes as their own.
"They've stolen Russell Crowe, they've tried to steal Lorde, and now they're trying to steal the Nines," says former Warriors and Kiwis player Tea Ropati. "Just go away."
It very nearly happened to Ropati when he played for the Newcastle Knights.
"I'm sure they would've if they could've."
New Zealand's biggest rugby league tournament may soon be added to that list, amid reports Melbourne and Brisbane officials are hatching a plan to take the tournament off Auckland.
"It's quite horrible I think," says Ropati. "It would be nice for the Auckland Nines just to be the Auckland Nines, not the Melbourne Nines or the Brisbane Nines."
"It's no secret a city like Melbourne has a vastly bigger acquisition event budget than Auckland," says Duco Events director David Higgins.
Duco Events has a contract with the NRL to host the tournament until 2018. It says if the new contract comes down to money it would be blown out of the water by a city like Melbourne, so it would need the New Zealand government to step in.
"That conversation might be a year or two away, but we look forward to having that conversation," says Mr Higgins.
Duco asked for government funding before launching the Nines last year, but was turned down. Now the Government says because it was a success anyway, it doesn't need any help.
It is already a profitable event that has not required government funds to be successful. The Major Events Development Fund is designed to help new events that aren't yet profitable.
Last year the Nines doubled expectations by pumping more than $9 million into the city's economy. Kiwi fans will be hoping that kind of result will keep the event on this side of the Tasman.
3 News
source: newshub archive
