The Warriors could be the biggest beneficiary of the NRL’s nine-week stadium block out headache caused by the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year.
FIFA will have exclusive use of Accor Stadium, the new SFS, Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and Melbourne’s AAMI Park between June and August.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Warriors have been made aware of the opportunity to bring rival teams to New Zealand during the period.
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Affected teams – which include the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Broncos, Storm and the competition’s newest franchise, the Dolphins – are likely to be granted extra home games earlier in the season.
Appetite for rugby league across the ditch is huge – the Warriors’ return to Mt Smart Stadium against the Tigers on Sunday is already sold out, as was the international between the Kiwis and Tonga last Saturday.
It will be the Warriors’ first game in New Zealand since Round 24 of the 2019 season. Jazz Tevaga, Adam Pompey and Chanel Harris-Tavita are the only members of the current squad to play that game.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo will be in Auckland for the match.
“We simply wouldn’t have been able to play the premiership in 2020, 2021 or 2022 had we not had the Warriors being based in Australia because the borders have been closed,” Abdo said.
“The club has been through a lot, but when it came to trying to find a way through and getting them back in Australia in 2020, or finding a permanent location in 2021 or the first half of 2022, everybody jumped in and approached it with a positive attitude.
“I commend and congratulate the Warriors for being proactive and being 100 per cent committed to the premiership because they’ve found a way through. They’ve won the respect of stakeholders in the game, the other clubs, and of course fans, because we’ve seen them play out of Australia for two-and-a-half seasons and still be competitive.
“It’s a tremendous effort by the club. Now is the time we can all get behind them and excited for a homecoming, and this is a brilliant way to welcome them back in front of a sea of Warriors fans.”
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