{"id":932749,"date":"2026-10-18T15:56:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T15:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/932749\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T15:56:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T15:56:14","slug":"nrl-plan-for-team-to-never-play-in-nz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/932749\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL plan for team to never play in NZ"},"content":{"rendered":"

The PNG Chiefs had a mini win in their legal battle against NZ Rugby this week, but if they lose the war don\u2019t expect to see them in the Land of the Long White Cloud.<\/p>\n

Watch Australia\u2019s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

NZ Rugby recently launched legal action against the NRL<\/a> over the naming of the game\u2019s 19th team.<\/p>\n

They hold the trademark rights for both the word and logo for the Super Rugby team, the Chiefs, based in Hamilton.<\/p>\n

NZ Rugby has filed proceedings in the High Court of New Zealand, arguing the NRL\u2019s new team will \u201ccause significant confusion and damage\u201d in Australian and New Zealand markets.<\/p>\n

But this week a judge rejected the bid for an injunction after hearing that it could hurt the NRL expansion team\u2019s ability to buy players.<\/p>\n

The NRL could still be forced to change the Chiefs\u2019 name if it loses in a New Zealand courtroom early next year.<\/p>\n

And if the PNG Chiefs ultimately lose, their intention is to never play away games in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\"Young<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what the Sydney Morning Herald reported<\/a> on Sunday morning and the publication also stated that the NRL\u2019s boss Peter V\u2019landys was backing the stance.<\/p>\n

The move would create future havoc with the NRL draw likely meaning Australian-based teams have to play more away games in NZ.<\/p>\n

NZR CEO Steve Lancaster said in a statement last week that the organisation has a \u201cresponsibility to protect the Chiefs brand\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs will officially reveal their logo and jersey next week.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Chiefs head coach Willie Peters has arrived in Port Moresby to get a first look at club HQ.<\/p>\n

BIG RED V NEEDS A BACKER<\/p>\n

St George Illawarra\u2019s big Red V is one of the most famous sporting jerseys in Australia, but the club is still trying to find a major sponsor for next year.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s three-year, $3.6 million deal with Squadron Energy ends on November 1.<\/p>\n

News Corp is reporting that the renewable energy company will not continue its major jersey sponsorship in 2027.<\/p>\n

The club will try and find only its fourth major sponsor in almost in nearly 30 years after St George Bank previously had a long-term deal with the organisation.<\/p>\n

The Dragons will apparently be seeking at least $1.2 million a season to sponsor the front of its famous jersey.<\/p>\n

\"Mitch<\/p>\n

The club is confident it can secure a deal before the end of the year but won\u2019t be rushing to do so unless the right deal comes along. <\/p>\n

Squadron Energy gave up its jersey branding for Indigenous Round and for their Round 1 game in Las Vegas they let the club deviate from their usual blue scheme to help create a cleaner look.<\/p>\n

On the field, the club had a horror 2026, finishing with the wooden spoon, but after buying the likes of Keaon Koloamatangi, Scott Drinkwater, Luke Metcalf<\/a>, Kodi Nikorima, Connor Watson and Phil Sami ahead of 2027, the new jersey sponsor may see its team make the finals. <\/p>\n

Originally published as \u2018We won\u2019t play in NZ\u2019: Huge threat over court case; Dragons in $1.2m-a-year search<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The PNG Chiefs had a mini win in their legal battle against NZ Rugby this week, but if…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":932750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[499627,407230,499623,499645,499610,499621,403915,499650,499614,89838,499656,499620,499618,398740,466366,499655,419265,379242,499648,499625,499636,381257,380412,499641,376769,401063,499628,64,63,499611,499633,499657,108374,499619,499659,4568,21296,61575,4027,499642,44449,12548,499658,499647,1852,499638,499653,37538,499634,499615,499617,499616,499624,62756,377208,16283,69442,2623,13307,82466,10747,4464,13053,761,762,422249,1736,499652,499649,499622,158,1697,291385,499637,499651,16390,39567,499635,49652,342689,760,1085,488410,485881,85,58987,31581,8825,3018,463004,499639,99646,488421,382205,215379,377453,377514,379861,74713,488388,150690,401387,380835,499630,499632,499654,499631,380184,499646,499640,387221,499629,396169,376860,499644,388317,499661,499643,499609,146597,499660,314784,386801,378969,395856,499608,499607,499626,499613,199184,490422,499612,377211],"class_list":["post-932749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-s-19th-team-they","tag-s-ability","tag-s-big-red-v","tag-s-boss-peter-vlandys","tag-s-new-team","tag-s-three-year","tag-s-tour","tag-1-2m-a-year-search","tag-3-6-million-deal","tag-89838","tag-2027-the-club","tag-a-backerst-george-illawarra","tag-a-cleaner-look-on","tag-a-deal","tag-a-first-look","tag-a-horror-2026","tag-a-judge","tag-a-long-term-deal","tag-a-major-sponsor","tag-a-mini-win","tag-a-new-zealand-courtroom","tag-a-responsibility","tag-a-season","tag-a-shin-injury","tag-a-statement","tag-an-injunction","tag-at-least-1-2-million","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-and-new-zealand-markets-but","tag-australian-based-teams","tag-both-the-word-and-logo","tag-chaos","tag-chiefs-head-coach-willie-peters","tag-club-hq-big-red-v","tag-connor-watson","tag-corp","tag-court-case","tag-dragons","tag-early-next-year-and","tag-ethan-strange","tag-fox-cricket","tag-future-havoc","tag-gairo-voro","tag-games","tag-hamilton-nz-rugby","tag-huge-threat","tag-indigenous-round","tag-its-famous-jersey-rlwc","tag-its-jersey-branding","tag-its-major-jersey-sponsorship","tag-its-team","tag-just-1-nz","tag-kayo","tag-kayo-sports-new","tag-keaon-koloamatangi","tag-kodi-nikorima","tag-las-vegas","tag-last-week","tag-legal-action","tag-luke-metcalf","tag-mitch-moses","tag-morning","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nearly-30-years","tag-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand-rlwc","tag-next-year-the-club","tag-november-1-news","tag-nrl","tag-nz","tag-nz-rugby","tag-nz-nzr-ceo-steve-lancaster","tag-only-its-fourth-major-sponsor","tag-parramatta","tag-phil-sami","tag-players-the-nrl","tag-port-moresby","tag-proceedings","tag-rugby","tag-scott-drinkwater","tag-significant-confusion-and-damage","tag-south-africa-live-exclusive","tag-sports","tag-squadron-energy","tag-st-george-bank","tag-sunday","tag-team","tag-the-right-deal","tag-the-bid","tag-the-chiefs","tag-the-chiefs-brand","tag-the-club","tag-the-end","tag-the-field","tag-the-finals","tag-the-front","tag-the-game","tag-the-high-court","tag-the-kumuls","tag-the-land","tag-the-likes","tag-the-long-white-cloud","tag-the-most-famous-sporting-jerseys","tag-the-naming","tag-the-new-jersey-sponsor","tag-the-nrl","tag-the-nrl-draw","tag-the-nrl-expansion-team","tag-the-organisation","tag-the-organisation-the-dragons","tag-the-png-chiefs","tag-the-publication","tag-the-renewable-energy-company","tag-the-rugby-league-world-cup","tag-the-squad-the-club","tag-the-stance-the-move","tag-the-super-rugby-team","tag-the-sydney-morning-herald","tag-the-trademark-rights","tag-the-war","tag-the-wooden-spoon","tag-the-year","tag-their-intention","tag-their-legal-battle","tag-their-logo-and-jersey","tag-their-round-1-game","tag-their-usual-blue-scheme","tag-this-week","tag-watch-australia","tag-world-cup-opening-win-vs-lebanonthat","tag-your-first-month"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=932749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/932750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=932749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=932749"},{"taxonomy":"p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