Hnry takes over naming rights for Wellington’s former Sky Stadium

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Wellington’s regional stadium will be known from this March as Hnry Stadium, after the sole trader accountancy firm announced it had taken on the naming rights for a five-year term, from broadcaster Sky.

The stadium and Hnry, a Wellington-founded and headquartered business, began talks late last year after respective chief executives Warrick Dent and James Fuller met at a panel event.

Hnry employs more than 100 staff in the capital and its main office is on the second floor of the well-loved Kirkcaldie & Stains building in the central city. In 2023, Hnry renovated the space after department store David Jones vacated it, to accommodate its growing workforce.

“Claire [Fuller] and I started the business in 2017 with a couple of spreadsheets, and now we’re 150 staff and taking on the naming rights for our local stadium,” Fuller told The Post on Tuesday.

“That, for us, is not only a vote of confidence from us as a business in Wellington and in the region, but actually a really good news story about giving some positivity to Wellington after what has been 18 months of being quite quiet.”

Fuller hoped the partnership would ignite a surge of activity for Wellington, and stimulate local investment and commitment.

Dent said the stadium ‒ which has welcomed more than 12 million patrons across the past 25 years ‒ wanted a partner that aligned with its own values, and was prepared to give back beyond just a sponsorship fee.

While the exact figure for the term has not been disclosed, Fuller did say it was less than 5% of Hnry’s global marketing budget.

Dent said Hnry’s growth, including its expansion to Australia and England, was exciting, and both organisations were trying to provide experiences for communities.

New Zealand has more than 400,000 sole traders and contractors, Dent said, which comprise a big proportion of the working population and, by extension, event attendees.

He hoped the partnership would bring more people to the stadium.

“It’s really easy for a brand to put your name on the side of a building and walk away and never do anything. You’re looking for a partner who’s going to leverage the opportunity,” Dent said.

The pair agreed the name had a nice ring, was not too wordy, and thought it would sit well with Wellingtonians.

Hnry is the third business to associate itself with the stadium, after Westpac and Sky.

Fuller said Wellington had really supported Hnry. It felt like an opportunity to give back to the local economy, rather than sending marketing spend offshore.

It was also on brand for Hnry, which prided itself on an element of randomness, irreverence, fun and not taking itself too seriously.

People would recognise Hnry for its Soul Trader campaign that features the Grim Reaper, or, as Fuller calls it, Grimmy, who may now make an appearance at some point at the stadium.

Hnry would be looking at upcoming events, not only to see how it could amplify messages, but to flex its creative and brand muscles in the signature Wellington location.

“We’ve always fought against the boring side of things and said actually, how do we change the perception of accountants and accounting in general, and not just play into the same old stereotypes?” Fuller said.

“It’s one of those things that people don’t expect, and that’s why we’re really excited about it.”

Signage reflecting the new partnership will be in place by the end of April.

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