Hurricanes

What Hurricanes does

The Hurricanes is a professional rugby franchise founded in 1996 and headquartered at the NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It operates two core teams — the men's Hurricanes, which competes in Super Rugby Pacific, and the women's Hurricanes Poua (also branded Gillies Group Hurricanes Poua), which competes in Super Rugby Aupiki — alongside a Canes Kids youth development pathway and an alumni network. The franchise represents a consortium of provincial unions across the lower North Island and East Coast (Wellington, Manawatū, Hawke's Bay, East Coast, Poverty Bay, Whanganui, Wairarapa-Bush, Horowhenua-Kapiti) and is owned by New Zealand Rugby. In 2026, the Hurricanes won the Super Rugby Pacific championship, defeating the Chiefs in the Grand Final at Hnry Stadium.

The club monetizes through five primary revenue streams: matchday ticket sales (via the Flicket platform), recurring memberships, premium hospitality (AV Media Canes Club — NZ$329+ per person or NZ$11,840+ per season table), branded merchandise (sold through the NZ Super Rugby Clubs online store), and a tiered sponsorship portfolio spanning National Partners (KFC, 2degrees, Chemist Warehouse, Powerade, Skycity), Major Partners (Kubota, Kia, Resene, FMT through 2028), and a longer tail of Partner and Supplier tiers. Supporting functions include community outreach programs (school visits, volunteer engagement, Health NZ screening campaigns) and youth talent identification through a documented Head of Pathways structure.

The underlying technology stack is light and consumer-facing rather than proprietary: Flicket for ticketing, Seats.io for stadium seat selection, Google Analytics and Meta/Twitter pixels for marketing, and standard email (cloud.hurricanes.co.nz) and social channels. There is no disclosed proprietary software, AI, or API offering; the franchise is an operating sports business whose "products" are live matches, membership entitlements, hospitality experiences, and apparel. The organization employs roughly 195 staff across playing, coaching, performance, medical, commercial, and administrative functions.

Name

Hurricanes

Legal name

Hurricanes Investment Limited Partnership

Website

https://hurricanes.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Hurricanes is a New Zealand professional rugby franchise founded in 1996, operating men's Super Rugby Pacific and women's Super Rugby Aupiki teams, monetizing through ticketing, memberships, premium hospitality, merchandise, and a tiered sponsor portfolio across the Wellington region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Upper Hutt

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from matchday tickets sold through Flicket platform for Super Rugby Pacific and Super Rugby Aupiki matches at various venues including Sky Stadium, Hnry Stadium, and Maidstone Park.
2. Membership Packages: Annual and seasonal membership packages offering access to home matches, exclusive content, and member benefits. 2027 memberships are noted as coming soon.
3. Hospitality Packages: Premium hospitality experiences including AV Media Canes Club with buffet dinner, all-inclusive bar, VIP access, and player meet-and-greets. Offered as per-game, table per-game, and table per-season packages.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store selling Hurricanes branded apparel and accessories through nzsuperrugbyclubs.co.nz
5. Sponsorship Revenue: Partnerships with National Partners (KFC, 2degrees, Chemist Warehouse, Powerade), Major Partners (Kubota, Kia, Resene), and various Partner and Supplier tiers providing commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hurricanes is a professional rugby franchise based in Wellington, New Zealand, operating the men's Super Rugby Pacific team and women's Hurricanes Poua (Super Rugby Aupiki) team. The franchise sells matchday tickets, annual memberships, premium hospitality (AV Media Canes Club), official merchandise, and youth development programmes, while generating commercial revenue through tiered sponsorships.

Product overview

The Hurricanes is a professional rugby franchise operating two core teams — the men's Hurricanes (Super Rugby Pacific) and women's Hurricanes Poua (Super Rugby Aupiki) — supported by a Canes Kids youth development program. The club's commercial offering spans membership packages, matchday hospitality (AV Media Canes Club), ticketing, and official merchandise. Community connection programs and the Hurricanes Alumni network round out the organization's non-playing activities. The 2026 season marks the club's 30th anniversary, commemorated with special-edition playing and training jerseys and a refreshed club logo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hurricanes Men's Super Rugby Pacific Team The premier men's professional rugby team competing in Super Rugby Pacific on behalf of eight regional provincial unions. Won the 2016 and 2026 Super Rugby Pacific championships.
• Hurricanes Poua (Women's Super Rugby Aupiki) Women's professional rugby team competing in Super Rugby Aupiki, representing the same regional union footprint as the men's franchise.
• Season Membership Packages Annual/seasonal membership subscriptions granting fans priority access to home matches, exclusive content, and member benefits for both the Hurricanes and Hurricanes Poua seasons.
• AV Media Canes Club Hospitality
• Match Tickets Individual match tickets for Hurricanes and Hurricanes Poua home games, distributed via the Flicket platform, including general admission and grandstand seating options.
• Official Merchandise Hurricanes-branded replica jerseys, apparel, and accessories sold through the NZ Super Rugby Clubs online store.
• Canes Kids Youth Development Program Youth rugby development programme and age-grade team structure providing junior player pathways into the senior Hurricanes franchise.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered principle partner, national partner, major partner, core, partner and supplier.

• Gillies Groupprinciple partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Principle Partner of Hurricanes Poua (women's team) - the Gillies Group Hurricanes Poua. Significant naming rights and branding presence on the women's team jersey and in all team announcements.
• 2degreesnational partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Partner with branding presence across Hurricanes digital and physical assets.
• KFCnational partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Partner of Hurricanes with prominent branding presence.
• Chemist Warehousenational partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Partner providing health and wellness association with the Hurricanes brand.
• Poweradenational partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Partner - sports beverage supplier with hydration branding connection.
• Skycitynational partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Partner - entertainment and hospitality provider.
• Kubotamajor partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner - agricultural and industrial equipment brand.
• Kiamajor partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner - automotive manufacturer with vehicle supply for team use.
• Resenemajor partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner - paints and colours supplier.
• FMTmajor partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Partner through to 2028 - transport and logistics company with extended partnership commitment.
• NZCIS (NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome of Hurricanes headquarters and training facilities at 30 Somme Road, Trentham, Upper Hutt.
• MediaWorkspartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partner celebrating 30 years alongside Hurricanes - radio and media company providing broadcast and coverage.
• DelivereasypartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerContinued partnership into 2027 - food delivery service partner.
• Bluebridge Cook Strait FerriespartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerContinued partnership - ferry services with cross-promotional opportunities.
• USL SportsupplierGTM or Marketing PartnerSports gear and equipment supplier with partnership renewal confirmed.
• AV MediasupplierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium naming rights partner for Canes Club hospitality experience - AV Media Canes Club.
• Flight CoffeesupplierGTM or Marketing PartnerSupplier partner with Hurricane blend coffee product available at venues.
• Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Oraprinciple partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth promotion partnership featuring Hurricanes players in bowel and breast screening awareness campaigns. Includes Jordie Barrett, Asafo Aumua, Tyrel Lomax in bowel screening content and Poua players in breast screening content.
• Pacific RadiologypartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare imaging partner with partnership renewal confirmed.
• Friday HomespartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial and exclusive home build construction partner.
• Partridge JewellerspartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerClub's official jeweller partner with branding presence.
• aibGROUPpartnerGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial insurance broker partner for the club.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Moana Pasifika: Auckland-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise representing Pacific Island heritage. Direct competitor in the same league with similar operating model, though newer and smaller commercial scale than the Hurricanes.
• Western Force: Perth-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise. Direct competitor in the same league with a comparable professional rugby franchise structure, sharing broadcast, partnership, and competitive dynamics with the Hurricanes.
• Highlanders: Dunedin-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise and fellow NZ provincial union-backed team. Direct peer with matching GTM, partnership tiers, and matchday economics; the Hurricanes defeated the Highlanders in the 2015 final (lost) and won their 2016 title run through Super Rugby play.
• ACT Brumbies: Canberra-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise. Direct peer with comparable mid-sized professional rugby operations, sharing the same league economics, broadcast, and sponsorship ecosystem as the Hurricanes.
• Queensland Reds: Brisbane-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise. Direct competitor with similar matchday, membership, and sponsorship revenue model; comparable mid-tier professional rugby franchise scale.
• Blues: Auckland-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise. Direct competitor with similar revenue streams (ticketing, hospitality, sponsorship, membership) and operates the same women's team (Super Rugby Aupiki) structure as Hurricanes Poua.
• Crusaders: Most successful Super Rugby Pacific franchise, based in Christchurch. Direct competitor on the field and commercial peer off the field, operating the same league with similar revenue mix of tickets, memberships, hospitality, merchandise, and tiered sponsorship.
• Chiefs: Hamilton-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise and the Hurricanes' opponent in the 2026 Grand Final. Direct peer competing in the same league with identical operating model — matchday revenue, memberships, sponsorships, and provincial union ecosystem.
• NSW Waratahs: Sydney-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise, one of the most historic Australian rugby brands. Direct peer in on-field competition and commercial structure (ticketing, memberships, sponsorship, merchandise).
• Fijian Drua: Fiji-based Super Rugby Pacific franchise, also competing in the same trans-Tasman league. Direct peer in rugby competition and league economics, with a Pacific identity-led brand analogous to the Hurricanes' regional identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Hurricanesrugby
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9XWxJdKbDPDSfqkt5oWxIg
• Facebookfacebook.com/HurricanesRugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hurricanes
• Instagraminstagram.com/hurricanesrugby
• TikToktiktok.com/@hurricanesrugby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles29 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hurricanes