May 11, 2026 • 8 mins
Those running the NZ20 are putting a positive spin on delaying the launch of the franchise T20 competition for a full year.
Plans for the new privatised competition to start in January 2027 have been halted, with a new start date of January 2028 for the men and the month prior for the women's competition.
NZ20 establishment committee chair Don Mackinnon joined Piney to discuss further.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from Newstalk ZEDB. No need for the DMO, We've got
the breakdown on Sports Talk call oh e eighty ten
eighty News Talk SAIB.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Big changes for the proposed new look domestic T twenty
competition in New Zealand, with the launch of n Z
twenty now pushed back to the summer of twenty twenty
seven twenty eight. The delay comes as organizers work through
investor interest, franchise planning and a crowded International cricket calendar.
N Z twenty Establishment Committee chair as Don McKinnon, he
(00:44):
joins us, Now, Don, when did it become clear that
the original January twenty twenty seven launch date was no
longer realistic?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Probably only made the call in the last few days
with New Zealand Cricket Jason. But we've sort of been
becoming more and more inevitable sort of as you dig
into the project, and in particular, once we realize through ends,
he'd see that the shrinking tour was very much locked
in and couldn't be pushed back. We just reached a
point where we were looking at a competition that you know,
(01:17):
typically needs about thirty two to thirty three days to run,
and next year with the Aussie tests finishing on I
think the last test in Australia finishes on the eighth
of January. Test matches against Sri Lanka. Starting in the
beginning of February, the window was just too tight and
we kept looking at each other going, you know, we're
running around like mad things trying to squeeze this in
(01:39):
and ultimately we'd be compromising our very first launch year.
Logical decision then became, actually, why are we trying to
do this. It's better to do it in the following
summer when we can make sure we do this as
well as we possibly can in a proper window. So
probably only recently, very recently got to this point because
we've really tried to do jan twenty seven, but it
(02:01):
just it was just too many compromises.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, that word again, compromises. I say you quoted as
saying that in the media release we're determined to ensure
n Z twenty launches without compromise. What specifically would have
been compromised if you'd tried to rush.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
This, Well, firstly, we would have had to run a
huge number of double headers, so the quality of a competition,
then you know you're compacting it. That impacts on fandom,
It impacts on broadcasting, it impacts on sponsorship. So all
of your commercials therefore are slightly compromised and not slightly
significantly compromised. But even running a really good process around
(02:40):
finding our team owners, finding our league investor, we've got
really good interest in that regard, but we're going to
have to make a really quick, potentially knee jerk decision,
whereas you know, let's take the time, run a really
good process to find our owners, really good competitive process
to find our locations. You know, could we could have
made sudden quick decisions on all of those things, but
(03:04):
it just didn't make sense to do that when we
actually have the ability, as we said right from the start.
You know, January twenty eight was acceptable to New Zealand
Cricket when they told us that they we had their
own principal support, So it just made sense to take
that time.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You mentioned there's strong investment investor interest. How significant are
the names in the and the financial backing that that
the competition is likely to attract.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Look, we remain really confident, I've said right from the start.
You know, this is a startup and you never know
till the money is in the tel and you know,
we have to be conscious of that. But nothing that
we've seen in the last too three months changes our
view that there's huge interest in this, in this competition
from all over the world and from Kiwi's and you know,
(03:51):
we keep reiterating the fact we're not we're not sort
of reinventing the wheel here. This has been done really
successfully in other cricketing nations. So yeah, we we have
a high confidence level.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
How confident are you that the revised timeline is now
firm that that we see another delay that January twenty
twenty eight is when NZ twenty will definitely launch.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, extremely confident.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What we would hope to be able to do is
actually start with our women's comp in December twenty seventh,
all going well, and the n be straight into our
men's compon Jane twenty eight.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
There's a really good window at the moment for.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
That and New zelln Cricket will have made it clear
to us though, work really hard to make sure that
window stays open.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
So yeah, look, we were.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Doing our best to get as much of this NAIL
this year, so that most of next year is actually
more focused on promoting the competition and running a really
good player auction.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And the like. So very very very confident, is the answer.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
How advanced there discussions around franchise locations.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Well, as we've said from the start, the goal is
to put these teams in areas where our fans are,
so in December and January we've done quite a lot
of research on where people are at those times a year,
where the money is being spent and with the greatest interests.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
At the end of the day, though, we've.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Got a paper prepared ready that will form the basis
for a location selection. Then part of our license agremed
with New Zeland Cricket that will working through at the
moment is to nail that document. So we will want
a competitive process and we hope the cities and towns
of New Zealand really want to put their hand up.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
And fight hard for a team.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
But yeah, we'll have a really good professional process and
hopefully end up going where most of our people are.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
And one of the big planks of this obviously was
was having New Zealand's best players play an n Z twenty.
The postponement of this won't change that in any regard.
What sort of feedback of your head from Pliers, the
Pliers Association around the postpone.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, we've had a chat with Cricket Plas Association. You know,
they've made it clearly huge supporters of this. As you know,
they will do their best to ensure any players that
take on overseas contracts or take on other ends in
twenty cops sorry, take on any other T twenty contracts
look to do that.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
On the short term we could lose some players as
a result of the decision.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We might also pick some up that have you one
more year of a commitment next year and therefore can
be available in.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Jane twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
But I suppose all I can say is we've had
discussions with the CPA. They remain really supportive. They will
do all they can to make sure we have a
huge number of our best players available.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
This might not be a question for you. It might
be more for New Zealand Cricket, but well, the domestic
T twenty comp look like now in the summer of
twenty six twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, and our discussions for the NZC You're right, it's
ultimately their course nothing to do with us, but I
think they intend to run the current competitions again for
one more year, as they had originally intended, and then
that'll dovetail really nicely into us US launching the following.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Summer, all right, And just to finished on, I guess
it does give you some breathing space, doesn't it. You
don't have to rush, you don't have to just a
charge around like Headler's chickens trying to raise the clock.
Does this give you a bit of, as I say,
breathing space, but also some some time to make a
good call Heller logical decisions without that time.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Pressure one hundred per I mean, there's when we reached
this decision, said said say Jason, there was a huge
side of relief from me. We wanted to run it
in Jane twenty seven because we felt it was right
for our fans. We fought it was right for the
game and players. But you know it was, as we
said from day one, it was a big ask and
(07:41):
you know, this is just a far more sensible decision.
And On pleased that collectively we've got to this point.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
And actually one more question, how have you found New
Zealan cricket to deal with in the time since some
you know, ind twenty became the preferred option. Have they
been been good to deal with?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
They have been excellent.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I mean most of my dealings have been with their
board members because that's sort of a cheer to cheer
or cheer on board relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
But yeah, they've been on board. They've been excellent to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
It's really good to hear Donhi. Thanks for joining us
tonight and providing us with some insight. Don McKinnon there.
He is the chair of the Steering Committee or the
Establishment committee for n Z twenty On Sports Talks.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
zed B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from Newstalk ZEDB. No need for the DMO, We've got
the breakdown on Sports Talk call oh e eighty ten
eighty News Talk SAIB.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Big changes for the proposed new look domestic T twenty
competition in New Zealand, with the launch of n Z
twenty now pushed back to the summer of twenty twenty
seven twenty eight. The delay comes as organizers work through
investor interest, franchise planning and a crowded International cricket calendar.
N Z twenty Establishment Committee chair as Don McKinnon, he
(00:44):
joins us, Now, Don, when did it become clear that
the original January twenty twenty seven launch date was no
longer realistic?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Probably only made the call in the last few days
with New Zealand Cricket Jason. But we've sort of been
becoming more and more inevitable sort of as you dig
into the project, and in particular, once we realize through ends,
he'd see that the shrinking tour was very much locked
in and couldn't be pushed back. We just reached a
point where we were looking at a competition that you know,
(01:17):
typically needs about thirty two to thirty three days to run,
and next year with the Aussie tests finishing on I
think the last test in Australia finishes on the eighth
of January. Test matches against Sri Lanka. Starting in the
beginning of February, the window was just too tight and
we kept looking at each other going, you know, we're
running around like mad things trying to squeeze this in
(01:39):
and ultimately we'd be compromising our very first launch year.
Logical decision then became, actually, why are we trying to
do this. It's better to do it in the following
summer when we can make sure we do this as
well as we possibly can in a proper window. So
probably only recently, very recently got to this point because
we've really tried to do jan twenty seven, but it
(02:01):
just it was just too many compromises.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, that word again, compromises. I say you quoted as
saying that in the media release we're determined to ensure
n Z twenty launches without compromise. What specifically would have
been compromised if you'd tried to rush.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
This, Well, firstly, we would have had to run a
huge number of double headers, so the quality of a competition,
then you know you're compacting it. That impacts on fandom,
It impacts on broadcasting, it impacts on sponsorship. So all
of your commercials therefore are slightly compromised and not slightly
significantly compromised. But even running a really good process around
(02:40):
finding our team owners, finding our league investor, we've got
really good interest in that regard, but we're going to
have to make a really quick, potentially knee jerk decision,
whereas you know, let's take the time, run a really
good process to find our owners, really good competitive process
to find our locations. You know, could we could have
made sudden quick decisions on all of those things, but
(03:04):
it just didn't make sense to do that when we
actually have the ability, as we said right from the start.
You know, January twenty eight was acceptable to New Zealand
Cricket when they told us that they we had their
own principal support, So it just made sense to take
that time.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
You mentioned there's strong investment investor interest. How significant are
the names in the and the financial backing that that
the competition is likely to attract.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Look, we remain really confident, I've said right from the start.
You know, this is a startup and you never know
till the money is in the tel and you know,
we have to be conscious of that. But nothing that
we've seen in the last too three months changes our
view that there's huge interest in this, in this competition
from all over the world and from Kiwi's and you know,
(03:51):
we keep reiterating the fact we're not we're not sort
of reinventing the wheel here. This has been done really
successfully in other cricketing nations. So yeah, we we have
a high confidence level.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
How confident are you that the revised timeline is now
firm that that we see another delay that January twenty
twenty eight is when NZ twenty will definitely launch.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, extremely confident.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What we would hope to be able to do is
actually start with our women's comp in December twenty seventh,
all going well, and the n be straight into our
men's compon Jane twenty eight.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
There's a really good window at the moment for.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
That and New zelln Cricket will have made it clear
to us though, work really hard to make sure that
window stays open.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
So yeah, look, we were.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Doing our best to get as much of this NAIL
this year, so that most of next year is actually
more focused on promoting the competition and running a really
good player auction.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
And the like. So very very very confident, is the answer.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
How advanced there discussions around franchise locations.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Well, as we've said from the start, the goal is
to put these teams in areas where our fans are,
so in December and January we've done quite a lot
of research on where people are at those times a year,
where the money is being spent and with the greatest interests.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
At the end of the day, though, we've.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Got a paper prepared ready that will form the basis
for a location selection. Then part of our license agremed
with New Zeland Cricket that will working through at the
moment is to nail that document. So we will want
a competitive process and we hope the cities and towns
of New Zealand really want to put their hand up.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
And fight hard for a team.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
But yeah, we'll have a really good professional process and
hopefully end up going where most of our people are.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
And one of the big planks of this obviously was
was having New Zealand's best players play an n Z twenty.
The postponement of this won't change that in any regard.
What sort of feedback of your head from Pliers, the
Pliers Association around the postpone.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, we've had a chat with Cricket Plas Association. You know,
they've made it clearly huge supporters of this. As you know,
they will do their best to ensure any players that
take on overseas contracts or take on other ends in
twenty cops sorry, take on any other T twenty contracts
look to do that.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
On the short term we could lose some players as
a result of the decision.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
We might also pick some up that have you one
more year of a commitment next year and therefore can
be available in.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Jane twenty eight.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
But I suppose all I can say is we've had
discussions with the CPA. They remain really supportive. They will
do all they can to make sure we have a
huge number of our best players available.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
This might not be a question for you. It might
be more for New Zealand Cricket, but well, the domestic
T twenty comp look like now in the summer of
twenty six twenty seven.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, and our discussions for the NZC You're right, it's
ultimately their course nothing to do with us, but I
think they intend to run the current competitions again for
one more year, as they had originally intended, and then
that'll dovetail really nicely into us US launching the following.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Summer, all right, And just to finished on, I guess
it does give you some breathing space, doesn't it. You
don't have to rush, you don't have to just a
charge around like Headler's chickens trying to raise the clock.
Does this give you a bit of, as I say,
breathing space, but also some some time to make a
good call Heller logical decisions without that time.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Pressure one hundred per I mean, there's when we reached
this decision, said said say Jason, there was a huge
side of relief from me. We wanted to run it
in Jane twenty seven because we felt it was right
for our fans. We fought it was right for the
game and players. But you know it was, as we
said from day one, it was a big ask and
(07:41):
you know, this is just a far more sensible decision.
And On pleased that collectively we've got to this point.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
And actually one more question, how have you found New
Zealan cricket to deal with in the time since some
you know, ind twenty became the preferred option. Have they
been been good to deal with?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
They have been excellent.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I mean most of my dealings have been with their
board members because that's sort of a cheer to cheer
or cheer on board relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
But yeah, they've been on board. They've been excellent to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
It's really good to hear Donhi. Thanks for joining us
tonight and providing us with some insight. Don McKinnon there.
He is the chair of the Steering Committee or the
Establishment committee for n Z twenty On Sports Talks.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talks
zed B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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