The One New Zealand Warriors have been ranked among the country’s fastest growing businesses – and the only sporting organisation – in this year’s Deloitte Fast 50.
Established to celebrate Kiwi businesses pushing the limits, breaking records and redefining fast growth, the Fast 50 index is determined by revenue growth percentage over the last three years, the Warriors emerging from the Covid area to post an increase of 145 per cent over the period.
It ranks the club 36th on a list featuring strong representation from organisations in the services, construction, technology and retail industries.
The result reflects a growth surge since returning home from three seasons in isolation in Australia, culminating in the Warriors creating history this year as the first club in NRL history to sell out every home game in a season.
“The growth this year’s Fast 50 businesses have achieved over the past three years is a tribute to their agility, innovation and self-belief,” said Deloitte private partner and Fast 50 lead James Arlidge.
“The variety of industries in the index this year also reflects the depth and breadth of the entrepreneurial talent we have here in Aotearoa.”
As well as 13 sold-out games in New Zealand this year and eight last season, the One New Zealand Warriors pre-sold all their hospitality options before the 2024 campaign and achieved exponential growth in sponsorship, membership and merchandise revenue.
“We’re thrilled to be ranked alongside so many impressive organisations in the Deloitte Fast 50, and even more so because we’re the sole representative to be ranked from the sporting industry and proudly wholly New Zealand-owned,” said One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“It’s great recognition and a tribute to so many people in our club who have made this possible.”
The One New Zealand Warriors set new attendance records during their 30th season in the competition in 2024, topping even the numbers achieved in the club’s 1995 debut campaign.
The aggregate crowd figure for all 12 regular season home games including the Magic Round clash against Penrith in Brisbane totalled 295,302.
That number topped the tally of 290,946 in 1995 – when the then-named Ericsson Stadium had a bigger capacity of more than 30,000 – and it was also well clear of 272,220 for the club’s 12 home games last year.
This season the One New Zealand Warriors averaged 24,608 for their 12 home games, up from 22,685 last season.
The combined total of home and away crowds topped half a million for just the second time in the club’s history, up to 512,218 from last year’s 506,439. The previous best was 1995’s 495,624.
