Peter V’landys Set to Announce NRL’s 20th Team as Expansion Race Heats Up

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The NRL is edging closer to another major expansion milestone, with ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys set to announce the competition’s 20th team as the race for the final licence intensifies.

The NRL has already committed to adding the Perth Bears in 2027 and the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028, taking the competition to 19 teams. The 20th club is now expected to enter in 2029, with the league facing pressure to finalise its next expansion destination.

Recent reports indicate the NRL could announce the successful bid by Christmas, with V’landys revealing a clearer timeline for the next expansion decision.

The strongest momentum currently appears to be behind a second New Zealand team with Christchurch emerging as a serious contender.

The South Island has increasingly been viewed as an untapped market for the NRL. A sell-out Warriors match at Christchurch's new One New Zealand Stadium earlier this year provided another indication of the region's appetite for rugby league.

A Christchurch-based bid would also give the NRL a genuine national footprint across New Zealand rather than concentrating its presence around Auckland with the Warriors.

The Warriors have already demonstrated that rugby league has a significant following across the Tasman, while the potential economic benefits of bringing an NRL club to Christchurch have strengthened the argument for expansion.

Several groups have previously expressed interest in establishing a team in the South Island, including the Southern Orcas proposal, which launched a substantial bid in 2024.

Christchurch is not the only option. A third Brisbane-based NRL team remains firmly in the conversation, with Queensland officials and rugby league figures continuing to argue that the state's rapidly growing population deserves another club.

The potential Brisbane bid would give the NRL another team in one of the game's strongest traditional markets. Queensland already has the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans and Dolphins, but the state's population growth and strong junior participation have led some to argue there is room for another side.

Former QRL boss Ben Ikin has been among those pushing the case for another Queensland team, while V’landys has previously spoken positively about the growth potential of both Brisbane and Christchurch.

The decision could ultimately come down to whether the NRL prioritises strengthening an existing rugby league market or expanding its international footprint.

The addition of a 20th club would be more than simply another team entering the competition.

A 20-team NRL would provide the league with a more balanced competition structure and could open the door to further changes to the draw and finals system.

It also comes at a crucial time commercially. The NRL has recently secured a record $5.3 billion broadcast agreement that will keep Kayo and Foxtel as major broadcast partners through to 2034, while the deal will also expand the international reach of the competition through DAZN.

That enormous financial commitment gives the NRL a strong platform from which to continue expanding.There is also a significant strategic reason behind the push for 20 teams: growth.

V’landys has repeatedly spoken about taking rugby league to new markets, with the NRL's Las Vegas venture already providing the competition with an international showcase.

A second New Zealand club would strengthen the game's presence across the Tasman, while a Brisbane team would further capitalise on one of Australia's fastest-growing regions.

One of the most interesting developments in the expansion race has been a proposal involving the existing NRL clubs themselves.

All 17 current clubs have reportedly been presented with a plan to take a stake in the 20th franchise, with each club potentially holding around 5.5 per cent of the new team during its establishment.

The idea, which has been welcomed by V’landys, would allow the existing clubs to contribute their commercial and operational expertise while reducing some of the risks associated with launching a brand-new franchise.

The proposal is significant because it suggests there is now widespread support among the existing clubs for further expansion, regardless of whether the eventual destination is Queensland or New Zealand.

The NRL's latest timeline points towards a decision before Christmas, although the exact date has not been confirmed.

The league's current expansion roadmap would see:
2027 — Perth Bears
2028 — Papua New Guinea Chiefs
2029 — 20th NRL team likely from QLD or New Zealand

That means the next few months could determine the future shape of the competition for years to come.

For V’landys, the decision represents another major moment in his long-term vision for the game.

After taking the competition from 17 teams to a projected 20 within a relatively short period, the announcement of the 20th team could prove to be one of the most important expansion decisions in modern NRL history.

One question remains: will the NRL head south across the Tasman, or stay closer to home in Brisbane?

Rugby league fans may not have to wait much longer for the answer.