They are not ‘Team New Zealand’ or the ‘New Zealand’ Warriors! An exploration of pseudo-nationalism in New Zealand sporting franchises

Abstract

Often international sport can be viewed through a nationalistic lens, with sport allowing for nation-based team selections and competitions. Alternatively, we probe the notion of pseudo-nationalism in a New Zealand setting to examine two professional teams that, falsely, evoke familiar symbols and linkages to the nation. The first is ‘Team New Zealand’, which races in the global America’s Cup yachting series but overtly manufactures nationalistic links between the corporate sport, syndicate and nation. The second is the ‘New Zealand’ Warriors which operates as a professional franchise in the Australian-based National Rugby League competition against 15 other Australian clubs. Despite their corporate structures, as well as circulation in non-nation-based sporting contests, both teams exhibit forms of pseudo-nationalism by conflating, obfuscating and masquerading as nationally-representative sports teams. Collectively, both teams proffer a contested vision of pseudo-nationalism by mimicking other national sport teams while projecting, evoking and imploring an allegiance to ‘New Zealandness’.