Thousands of Warriors fans shut down the central city ahead of Cowboys clash

Sunday, 21 June 2026

If you didn’t see them, you definitely would’ve heard them. Thousands of rugby league fans flooded Christchurch on Sunday for the Warriors’ first NRL game at sold-out One NZ Stadium against North Queensland Cowboys.

Marching down Cashel St for the hīkoi, drums pounding and chants of “Up the Wahs” echoing through the city - they were loud, they were visible, and they were taking over.

One of the 25,000 attendees was Richard Morgan, an Auckland-born fan living in Sydney who organised the march through his self-built community Warriors Nation.

The grassroots movement is something he’s been building since 2011. He’s now got just under 18,000 followers on social media, and bought 200 seats for Sunday’s match to keep supporters together.

Thousands of rugby league fans marched down Cashel Street on Sunday for the Warriors' first NRL game at One NZ Stadium.

“We’ve been planning this since August last year when the game was announced and are super excited,” Morgan said. “Our pre-game events are all about connection and building relationships.”

At 3pm sharp, they marched from Fat Eddies pub on the strip toward Te Kaha. Before that, every bar in sight was packed to the brim with blue jerseys.

“It’s at the pre-game meetups where we build the atmosphere before heading into the stadium by teaching everyone our chants and getting to know everyone,” Morgan said. “We’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and have built the movement to what was witnessed in Brisbane at Magic Round recently.”

Rugby league fans made their mark on a rugby union-dominated city with drums, chants, and thousands on the streets.

Store workers stood at their doors to observe as thousands flooded through the city.

Families and fans of all ages claimed the streets for the historic march down Cashel Street

21st June 2026 Iain McGregor/The PressWarriors fans march down Cashel St to One NZ Stadium for the Warriors v Cowboys NRL match.

Richard Morgan, left, organised the march through Warriors Nation, a grassroots movement he's been building since 2011.

Families marched. Kiwi celebrities like Jono and Ben took selfies with fans. Store workers stood at their doors, not to guard their premises, but just to observe. The Warriors have locked in games through 2028, cementing Christchurch’s place on the NRL calendar - and the fans have made their mark.