Charlie Raass at the NZ Warriors trial match against the Melbourne Storm at Rotorua International Stadium in 2018. Photo: Rotorua Daily Post / NZME
Rotorua hopes to be involved in conversations about hosting a New Zealand Warriors game as early as 2027, with a fixture potentially earning the city up to $5.5 million.
The Warriors visited Rotorua as part of a Warriors Community Foundation roadshow in November.
Fans had the chance to meet head coach Andrew Webster and a handful of players, including Kurt Capewell, Adam Pompey and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Players also had an open training and a skills session with tamariki and rangatahi at Rotorua International Stadium, but stepping out into the Hangi Pit has become an increasing rarity for New Zealand's premier rugby league outfit.
Once a regular pre-season pit-stop, the last time Rotorua fans got to see the Wahs in action was in a trial game against Wests Tigers in 2020.
The home leg of the Warriors' 2026 NRL Pre-season Challenge will be at Napier's McLean Park. Meanwhile, two 2026 NRL regular-season fixtures will take place at Christchurch and Wellington, including a first game at Canterbury's new One NZ Stadium.
That means 2027 is the next opportunity for Rotorua to bring the Warriors back to the Bay.
Covid, a deal with Christchurch and Rotorua's other well-documented social issues may have been barriers, but demand is certainly not one of them.
Rotorua hosted the 2023 NRL All-Stars fixture and attracted more than 17,000 fans, while the Warriors remain one of the city's most supported teams.
"I think it would be a positive initiative that can lift the spirits of the people," John Devonshire, chairman of Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Rugby League, told Local Democracy Reporting.
"I hope it comes to fruition."
Fans high-fiving the Warriors as they took on the Panthers in 2015. Photo: Rotorua Daily Post / NZME
Devonshire played a role in bringing the Indigenous All Stars v Māori All-Stars fixture to Rotorua in 2023 and believed a Warriors game would be huge for the city.
"It's always good for the Warriors to take the game out of Auckland," he said, suggesting it rewarded those fans who regularly made the trip to the team's base in Auckland.
"It's a way of growing their brand, and it's healthy for the game and profiling the sport, and for the town itself, which has had its problems with housing and other issues."
He believed hosting the All-Stars game demonstrated the city was capable of doing the same with the Warriors.
He added cheekily that it would be important to "keep pitch invaders off the field", either a reference to incursions during the 2023 fixture or a 2002 incident when a 15-year-old fan tackled Wallabies legend George Gregan during a Super Rugby game to win a $200 bet.
Rotorua schoolchildren had the chance to meet the Wahs at an event in November. Photo: Warriors.Kiwi
RotoruaNZ events and entertainment portfolio manager Tim Farmer explained that economic impact modelling had shown a potential $3.5-5.5 million economic benefit to the region from hosting a Warriors fixture, driven by "visitor spend, national exposure, and community engagement".
The success of the All-Stars game confirmed Rotorua could host such showcase events.
No talks were currently underway with the Warriors about a Rotorua fixture, but Farmer said he wanted the city to be "part of the conversation" for 2027.
Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell is a league fan, and she "laid down the challenge" to the team at their recent visit to come back for a game soon.
She said it would be a "dream come true" to bring the Wahs back to Rotorua.
"There will be a lot of conversations to be had to make this happen, and we're excited to be starting these," Tapsell said.
"Council is focused on smart spending and investment, so will also be weighing up the cost of hosting such a game, alongside the significant economic and social benefits."
Of course, it's not just the men. With the Warriors rejoining the National Women's Rugby League (NRLW) earlier this year, Tapsell opened the door to a women's game in Rotorua.
The team played three games in Hamilton in the 2025 NRLW campaign, attracting big crowds, with over 7000 at their encounter with the Brisbane Broncos. They will be kickstarting their 2026 campaign at the Waikato Stadium next July.
Rotorua schoolchildren had the chance to meet the Wahs at an event in November. Photo: Warriors.Kiwi
Rotorua Girls' High School rugby league manager Kelly Albrecht took some of her students to the recent Warriors visit, where many got involved in the skills sessions.
"They definitely gave them a couple of decent hits," Albrecht said.
"It was so good for them to be part of it, because girls often find it a bit harder in male-dominated sports.
"These girls live and breathe the sport, so being able to see their idols out on the field, even if it was the boys, was great."
The Warriors start their 2026 NRL season with a home match against the Sydney Roosters at Go Media Stadium, Auckland, on 6 March.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
