Kiwi NRL launch a boon for the game

Fans enjoy the weather and the entertaining rugby league during the last year's Auckland Nines Rugby League competition. Photo / New Zealand Herald / Greg Bowker

The 2015 NRL season launch will be on this side of the Tasman for the first time in the game's history in a show of recognition of the role played by the Warriors and New Zealand league.

The launch will take place in Auckland on January 29, in the lead-up to the NRL Auckland Nines which begin two days later.

The announcement comes as a boon for the Warriors, who are celebrating 20 years in the NRL, and is a tribute to the Kiwis' Four Nations triumph as the game enjoys a golden period of exposure and support in New Zealand.

"For us, it's huge. It is really, really big," explained Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle.

"It's great the NRL have chosen to launch the NRL season here in New Zealand, particularly in our 20-year anniversary.

"From our point of view, to have all 16 clubs here in one place, first and foremost for the Nines but more importantly now to launch the whole season, it shows how important New Zealand is to the NRL and it shows how closely we can work with them, so that's a real positive.

"Hopefully this will be a huge kick-start to a really successful and positive 2015 for the Warriors.

"We are obviously a very, very strong club over here in our 20th year but, at the same time, we provide a lot of players from New Zealand into lots of other clubs.

"It's continually growing. And with the success of the Kiwis as well, it's a real positive."

It will be the only occasion when all 16 clubs come together at the same time during the 2015 season, with the game's heavyweight administrators.

It also provides the chance for fans to celebrate the diversity of the NRL calendar - from the Nines through to the NRL grand final.

"There will be something for everyone in 2015 and we want to promote the full rugby league calendar in the 2015 launch," explained Paul Kind, NRL head of commercial.

"It's also fitting New Zealand, who play such an important role in our club and international schedule, have the opportunity to host the season launch."

In what would be another first, plans are also underway for the Footy Show to be broadcast from Auckland that evening, and a special fan day will be held in Aotea Square on January 30 to allow supporters the chance to meet the game's biggest stars from each club.

Doyle said fans would play an integral role in the launch and Warriors fans in particular would have the opportunity to get involved in the festivities.

"Last year the NRL used fans and members of each of the clubs and naturally they want to continue on with that," he said.

"Naturally, being here in New Zealand, I'm sure there will be a lot of Warriors members being involved in the whole season launch.

"They will have all the top players, even the players who are not playing in the Nines. They will still bring across the top players to be part of the season launch."

Kind said clubs attracted more than 250,000 members for the first time this year, and the aim was to beat that record in 2015.

"The more we can engage with fans at events such as the launch and encourage people to become members, the more secure our clubs will be in the future."