{"id":468993,"date":"2026-06-09T20:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/468993\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T20:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T20:53:11","slug":"super-round-drives-13m-boost-for-christchurch-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/468993\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Round drives $13m boost for Christchurch economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe sellout crowds, quality of rugby and atmosphere across the three days made Super Round a memorable occasion for fans and teams alike,\u201d Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said.<\/p>\n

\"PuntersPunters fill the concourse at One NZ Stadium on day two of the Super Round in Christchurch on April 25, 2026. Photo \/ Alyse Wright <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the report shows is that the impact extended well beyond the stadium,\u201d Mesley said.<\/p>\n

More than 16,500 domestic visitors traveled to Christchurch for the event, he said, far exceeding expectations and driving more than $13m in visitor spend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great demonstration of how rugby can bring people together and create real value for the communities that host our biggest events.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SuperSuper Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley (left) and Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

More than 1.2 million television viewers tuned in to Sky\u2019s live broadcast, curious to see the country\u2019s newest venue.<\/p>\n

The opening match between the Crusaders and the New South Wales Waratahs became the most-watched and the most engaging match of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season.<\/p>\n

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said bringing Super Round to Christchurch was a fitting celebration of the city\u2019s deep connection to rugby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone who was there will forget the weekend in a hurry. We saw packed stands, great rugby and a city that came alive around the event,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs proud Cantabrians, it was incredibly special to welcome Super Round to rugby heartland and to see fans experience our new home at One New Zealand Stadium for the first time. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like more than just a rugby event; it was a milestone moment for Christchurch. These results show the impact that can be achieved when a city gets behind an event like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acting Mayor Victoria Henstock says the city could not have asked for a better way to open the stadium. <\/p>\n

\u201cSuper Rugby Pacific Super Round was a historic moment for \u014ctautahi Christchurch with the action on the field and in the central city showcasing our home to the rest of the country and the world,\u201d Henstock said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing the city to life for this event included 10 team signings, live site activations and the Fan Trail to the stadium, which demonstrated the city\u2019s ability to provide a real festival atmosphere. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur rebuilt and revitalised vibrant city centre was made for major events like this. The city bids for events such as Super Round not just for the short-term economic stimulus but because showing the city is a vibrant, successful place helps position us for longer-term benefits such as investment and talent attraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SkySky Sport presenters Kirstie Stanway (from left), Tim Horan and Jeff Wilson hosted day two of Super Round coverage in Christchurch. Photo \/ Alyse Wright<\/p>\n

The undeniable success of the 10-team event won\u2019t guarantee its return in 2027, however.<\/p>\n

Details of next season\u2019s showpiece are yet to be confirmed \u2013 with ChristchurchNZ saying that discussions about the event\u2019s future are ongoing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThe sellout crowds, quality of rugby and atmosphere across the three days made Super Round a memorable occasion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468994,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[32952,237268,1558,11231,138,4487,52606,10668,219,143056,28161,2082,23500,111,139,11550,69,12860,18833,14040,313,3590,102],"class_list":["post-468993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-13m","tag-aprils","tag-been","tag-boost","tag-business","tag-christchurch","tag-drives","tag-economic","tag-economy","tag-exceeding","tag-expectations","tag-for","tag-impact","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nights","tag-nz","tag-revealed","tag-round","tag-spend","tag-super","tag-visitor","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468993\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}