After just four years in Auckland, and ever-dwindling crowds at Eden Park, Duco Events is considering moving the NRL Nines to Brisbane.
The event still has a year to run in partnership with Auckland tourism group ATEED, but the fans have voted with their feet, and it appears both Duco and the NRL have had enough.
ATEED has also confirmed that it would consider bidding to host the rugby sevens tournament if Wellington decides to give up hosting it.
Duco director David Higgins confirmed to Newshub on Wednesday that he has met with NRL officials about the possibility of moving the tournament to another city.
Newshub has learned a major Brisbane-based sportswear company had discussions with Duco about being part of a potential NRL Nines event in Brisbane - even before this year's poorly-attended tournament in Auckland was held.
The venue would likely be the home of the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Origin team: Suncorp Stadium, the same world-class rectangular venue that hosted the Duco-promoted Global Rugby Tens last weekend.
Hosting the Nines in Brisbane makes plenty of sense as the city is a true heartland of rugby league.
It's also not too far for fans of the nine Sydney-based NRL clubs to travel north to.
As for ATEED's partnership with Duco to host next year's NRL Nines tournament in Auckland, chief executive Brett O'Riley told Newshub: "ATEED is in ongoing discussions with the NRL and Duco about the future of the Nines and other rugby league content for Auckland.
"ATEED remains open-minded about future rugby league events in Auckland, be that a fifth year of the Nines which is currently contracted to take place here in 2018, resting the Nines for a later return, or hosting a State of Origin game, test matches or an NRL double-header."
So what becomes of the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens?
The Global Rugby Tens produced high-quality rugby despite the stifling hot conditions in Brisbane, but only 29,000 tickets were sold for the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium over the two day event.
Mr Higgins told Newshub he deemed the Brisbane Tens a success, while the city's Lord Mayor Graham Quirk stated:
"We witnessed the pinnacle of global rugby union complemented by Brisbane's famous friendly hospitality and lively entertainment precincts.
"The inaugural Tens tournament has reinforced our reputation as a world class events city."
The majority of the fans who did attend were supporters of the five New Zealand teams taking part.
There has been some speculation that Duco could move the Global Rugby Tens to Auckland, in what would essentially be a tournament swap, but Duco could yet be persuaded to take the Tens to Perth.
The new 70,000 capacity Perth Stadium is due to be finished in early 2018 and its owners, the Western Australian Government, are keen to bring major events there.
It's believed the WA Government want their new stadium to host the Global Rugby Tens for at least three years, and with plenty of rugby loving ex-pat South Africans and New Zealanders living in the city, they'd expect the tournament to prove popular.
The new stadium has been confirmed to host a Bledisloe Cup fixture in 2019, the first ever in Perth, and could potentially be the home of a new NRL franchise when the competition is expanded after 2020.
Where does that leave New Zealand?
As far as major short-form oval ball tournaments go - we still have the deflated Wellington Rugby Sevens here - but that's it.
With no NRL Nines in Auckland anymore, would ATEED consider getting into bed with World Rugby and NZ Rugby, and bid to host the New Zealand round of the World Sevens Series?
"ATEED is always open to new opportunities for Auckland, but would only consider the Sevens if Wellington decided it was no longer going to host the tournament," says chief executive Brett O'Riley.
"If it went to an open bid, it is something we would be keen to look at, but it is not something we would contemplate until 2019."
The tournament is all but dead in Wellington, and while both Christchurch and Dunedin have suitable stadiums, the southern cities lack major hotels and infrastructure to play hosts.
Auckland would have no such problems, but ATEED would need to believe that hosting the New Zealand round of the World Rugby Sevens would prove profitable.
"Any new major event considerations for Auckland would be subject to ATEED's feasibility assessment process, and the most important thing for Auckland is to host events which generate a worthy return on investment," Mr O'Riley said.
There are plenty of rugby fans in Auckland and neighbouring Waikato - the sold-out crowds for every All Blacks game at Eden Park are proof of that.
Who knows, Aucklanders might just take a shine to Wellington's unloved former beauty.
Dean Lonergan blaming Warriors for poor crowds at NRL Auckland Nines
Newshub.
