I was listening to talk back the other day and lots of people ring up saying things like why not call them the NZ Phoenix like the Warriors and Breakers, I'd support them then.
The thing that cracks me up is how often do the "New Zealand" Breakers or Warriors tour outside of Auckland. The Phoenix are on the road much more than those teams. How many people supported the "New Zealand" knights.
Having an Auckland team be called New Zealand is just a typical Auckland attitude. I would prefer them to be called the Auckland Warriors, I'd probably support them more if that was the case.
There is arguments both ways. The Warriors re-branded themselves at the right time, to really start the push for a wider NZ fan base. I was obsessed with them right before the re-brand change so it didn't affect me but I think it got more people behind as there is that whole stupid "anti-auckland and australia" mentality. And up there they probably have a bit of a anti-everywhere that's not auckland mentality. So a NZ rebrand could help, but not exclusively fix the issues.
They need a perfect storm of things to change.
A stadium to make more people want to go, that amkes the games look better on TV so more people watch, a nation wide advertising campaign to sell club memberships and merch, NZF to pull their foot out of their asses and help advertising to make the psort itself more popular.
The names are a joke, they don't tour NZ. In fact most of the Warriors games that Wellington has had have been Bulldogs home games and not Warriors home games.
The breakers have played, what? Two games outside of Auckland throughout their history? The Phoenix, despite their name, are much more of a NZ team than either of those two.
They are both Auckalnd teams, calling them NZ teams is just a cheap way to get people who are a little soft in the head to support them.