Matatū Rugby Team

What Matatū Rugby Team does

Matatū is a professional women's rugby franchise based at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand, established in 2021 to represent the entire South Island (Te Waipounamu) in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. The franchise aggregates nine provincial unions — Canterbury, Tasman, Otago, Southland, North Otago, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, West Coast, and Buller — and operates from a purpose-built headquarters opened on the Lincoln University campus in December 2025. Core products are elite rugby match entertainment, season memberships, branded merchandise, and youth/community engagement programmes.

The franchise monetises through a multi-stream model: principal and commercial sponsorship (Bayleys Canterbury as principal partner, alongside Tait Communications, PURE Sports Nutrition, Isaac Group, FreshChoice, Foodprint, and Anthony Harper), match-day ticketing via Ticketmaster at venues including One New Zealand Stadium and Ngā Puna Wai, annual season memberships that bundle Crusaders/Highlanders discount benefits, merchandise sales through the NZ Super Rugby Clubs online store, and match-day beverage partnerships with Moa Brewing Company. Pricing is positioned as family-friendly at $20 adult, $5 child, free for under-5s, and $40 family passes.

The franchise's competitive profile rests on a high concentration of national-team talent (7 current Black Ferns in the 2026 squad, with 9 players awarded Black Ferns contracts in 2024), the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki championship, a 2025 Grand Final appearance, and 19 competition points heading into the final round of the 2026 season with a chance to host its first home final. Operational scale is intentionally lean — 9 permanent staff — with a 30-player squad and an event-driven, direct-to-consumer go-to-market leveraging Ticketmaster, Instagram, the matatu.co.nz website, and Crusaders-affiliated CRM channels.

Name

Matatū Rugby Team

Legal name

Matatū

Website

https://matatu.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matatū is a professional women's rugby franchise based at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand, representing the entire South Island in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and serving fans, families, and nine provincial unions through match-day entertainment, memberships, and sponsorship-funded operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Women's Rugby (Sports Entertainment)

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rugby Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAI), Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC)

Keywords

• Professional rugby team
• Women's rugby
• Season memberships
• Match ticketing
• Team merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: Partnership revenue from multiple brand partners including principal partner Bayleys Canterbury, commercial partners, and commercial suppliers across various industries (telecommunications, food & beverage, automotive, hospitality).
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual match tickets sold through Ticketmaster for Super Rugby Aupiki matches at home venues including One New Zealand Stadium, Ngā Puna Wai, and Alpine Energy Stadium in Timaru.
3. Memberships: Season memberships providing access to all home games, discounts on Crusaders and Highlanders tickets, Matatū merchandise, and exclusive member benefits. Complimentary tickets provided to Crusaders members.
4. Merchandise: Official merchandise shop selling team apparel and accessories through the NZ Super Rugby Clubs online store.
5. Beverage Partnerships: Match-day beverage offerings including Southern Alps Ultra Lager, Hey Hey Ready to Drink, and 0% alcohol options from Moa Brewing Company partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Matatū is a professional women's rugby franchise that fields a competitive team in Super Rugby Aupiki and delivers live rugby match entertainment, sellable match tickets through Ticketmaster, annual season memberships granting access to home games and merchandise benefits, and official team merchandise sold through the NZ Super Rugby Clubs online shop. The organization represents the entire South Island of New Zealand across nine provincial unions and operates purpose-built headquarters at Lincoln University in Christchurch.

Product overview

Matatū is a professional women's rugby team competing in Super Rugby Aupiki. The organization's offerings include live match entertainment, season memberships granting access to home games and merchandise discounts, match-day tickets, and branded merchandise through the team shop. The team does not operate as a technology platform or software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Match Tickets (Super Rugby Aupiki home games)

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking attendance: 10,000 tickets sold for 2026 season opener, targeting to surpass previous women's domestic record of ~4,800
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• PURE Sports NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2026PURE Sports Nutrition joined as official and exclusive energy gel and supplements partner, supporting Matatū athletes with high-quality nutrition for performance and recovery. PURE is a local Christchurch company with locally sourced ingredients.
• Moa Brewing CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Moa Brewing Company's Southern Alps Ultra Lager and Hey Hey Ready to Drink products are cornerstone offerings across Matatū match-day experience. The first NZ brewery to publicly support women's rugby.
• FoodprintsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Foodprint, a female-owned business focused on reducing food waste, joined as Official Food Rescue Partner. Foodprint supports the squad with rescued food throughout the season and helps amplify women's rugby growth.
• Anthony HarpersupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 January 2026Anthony Harper, one of New Zealand's most established law firms, joined as Official Legal Partner for 2026 season. Provides expert legal advice and guidance supporting players on and off the field.
• Bayleys CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Bayleys Canterbury is the Principal Partner of Matatū, supporting the team as they embark on their 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki campaign. Bayleys demonstrated early support by gifting Matatū members two additional complimentary tickets for the season opener.
• Tait CommunicationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Tait Communications joined as official partner for the 2026 season, bringing together two organisations connected by shared commitment to performance, teamwork and clear communication. Tait provides communications technology support.
• FreshChoicesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026FreshChoice joined as official partner for 2026 season, strengthening growing connection across South Island rugby community.
• Isaac GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Renewed partnership with Isaac Group, a relationship built on shared values, community impact, and commitment to making the South Island stronger. Isaac Group has partnered with Matatū for three years.
• Crusaders Rugby ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Regional rugby union partner representing Canterbury in the men's competition. All Crusaders members receive complimentary tickets to Matatū matches, driving cross-promotion.
• Highlanders Rugby ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Regional rugby union partner representing Otago in the men's competition, part of Matatū's South Island representation network.
• Tasman Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner from the top of the South Island, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Otago Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing Otago region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Canterbury Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing Canterbury region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Southland Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing Southland region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Mid Canterbury Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing Mid Canterbury region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• South Canterbury Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing South Canterbury region. Matatū takes matches to this region (Fraser Park Timaru) to celebrate community connection.
• West Coast Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing West Coast region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Buller Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing Buller region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• North Otago Rugby UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Provincial union partner representing North Otago region, one of 9 unions represented by Matatū.
• Lincoln UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 November 2025Lincoln University is home to Matatū and Black Ferns South Island hub. From January 2026, Matatū moved into purpose-built premises on campus including renovated offices, training facilities, and changing rooms. Partnership reflects shared values and commitment to women's sport.
• Novotel Christchurch AirportsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Novotel Christchurch Airport (4.5-star, 200-room hotel) is official and exclusive accommodation partner, providing world-class accommodation for team and fans during the 2025 season.
• Blackwells MazdasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Blackwells Mazda partnered with Matatū for the 2025 season, supporting team transportation and logistics.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Lincoln University: Tertiary partner and host of Matatū's purpose-built headquarters. Provides facility access, sports science resources, and Whare Hākinakina gym, making it a strategic ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Blues Women (nib Blues Women): Direct competitor in Super Rugby Aupiki representing the Auckland/Northland region. Both compete in the same league with the same match-day and membership commercial model; the Blues defeated Matatū in the 2025 Grand Final.
• Hurricanes Poua: Direct Super Rugby Aupiki rival representing the lower North Island. Defeated Matatū 33-31 in Round 5 (2026) and competes directly for finals positioning and Black Ferns talent.
• Chiefs Manawa: Direct Super Rugby Aupiki peer representing the Waikato region. Shares the same league schedule, ticket and sponsorship model, and athlete pipeline into the Black Ferns.

Regional players

• New South Wales Waratahs Women: Australian women's rugby franchise competing in Super Rugby W. Operates a similar model — a regional women's Super Rugby team with sponsorship, ticketing, and membership revenue streams — making it a useful international benchmark.
• Queensland Reds Women: Another Super Rugby W franchise providing a parallel women's professional rugby operating model in a different market, useful for benchmarking sponsorship and ticketing economics.
• Ealing Trailfinders Women: English Premiership Women's Rugby club that signed former Matatū captain Alana Bremner. Comparable as a women's professional rugby franchise operating in a different geography with a similar ticket and membership commercial model.

Broad incumbents

• New Zealand Rugby (NZR): National governing body that operates Super Rugby Aupiki and the Black Ferns programme. Sets competitive structure, central commercial rights, and the talent pathway that Matatū depends on for elite player development.
• Highlanders Rugby Club: Otago-based Super Rugby partner of Matatū. Comparable men's Super Rugby franchise representing a region that Matatū also covers, providing shared supporter and commercial infrastructure.
• Crusaders Rugby Club: Regional rugby union partner that shares staff, ticketing infrastructure, and member cross-promotion with Matatū. Operates as a men's Super Rugby franchise but provides administrative backbone and audience reach for the women's team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=Matat%C5%AB%20rugby
• Instagraminstagram.com/mataturugby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matat%C5%AB-rugby-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Matatū Rugby Team