NZ Partners With US To Launch Major League Cricket Franchise
CEO Scott Weenink outlines North American venture set to debut in 2027 season.
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New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with US-based True North Sports Ventures to launch a new Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise. The announcement was shared on the official BlackCaps Instagram account, featuring CEO Scott Weenink discussing details of this strategic move into the North American cricket market.
In the Instagram video, NZC CEO Scott Weenink outlines the partnership that will see New Zealand Cricket enter the rapidly expanding Major League Cricket competition. This new franchise is set to debut in the 2027 season, marking a significant international expansion for New Zealand Cricket.
According to additional information shared by NZC, the partnership is with True North Sports Ventures (TNS), whose majority owners, MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, hold exclusive rights to own and operate two MLC expansion franchises. The first of these franchises will be launched in 2027, with NZC as a key partner.
TNS is currently exploring several key markets across North America, including Toronto and Atlanta, as potential home bases for the new franchise. The team name and branding details are expected to be formally announced later this year.
New Zealand Cricket’s Involvement
This first-of-its-kind agreement between a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and a franchise in a professional cricket league involves multiple aspects of collaboration:
– NZC will provide high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management, and support staff
– The franchise will be integrated into NZC’s domestic high-performance ecosystem
– In a second development phase, NZC will offer expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management
– NZC has become a foundation investor in TNS, with the opportunity to make a more substantial equity investment before the end of 2025
– NZC also has the opportunity to partner with Mehta and Srinivasan on other strategic opportunities, such as a second franchise planned for 2031
North American Cricket Expansion
The timing of this venture aligns with cricket’s growing popularity in North America. The sport has a 25 million strong fan base in the region, and recent developments have accelerated interest, including:
– The successful hosting of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies
– Cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
– The establishment of Major League Cricket as a professional T20 league in 2023
In a separate post, NZC described this partnership as “a unique and exciting milestone,” highlighting the significance of this international expansion for New Zealand Cricket.
New Zealand’s Cricket Legacy
New Zealand brings considerable cricket pedigree to this new venture. The BlackCaps, as the national team is known, have been a full member of the International Cricket Council since 1930 and have established themselves as a formidable force in international cricket.
Recent achievements include winning the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021 by defeating India in the final and reaching the ICC Champions Trophy Final in 2023. The team has consistently performed at high levels across all game formats, including reaching the final of the ODI Cricket World Cup in 2015 and 2019. New Zealand Cricket has also produced world-class players and coaches, with their high-performance systems being well-regarded globally. This expertise will now be leveraged to develop the new MLC franchise and potentially grow cricket’s popularity in North America.
This strategic move represents a significant step in cricket’s global expansion, particularly into the lucrative North American market. While traditionally strongest in Commonwealth countries, cricket’s governing bodies have been actively working to grow the game in new territories.
With the franchise set to debut in 2027 and cricket featuring in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the next few years mark a critical period for cricket’s development in the region. New Zealand Cricket’s involvement adds credibility and expertise to this expansion effort, potentially helping to establish cricket as a mainstream sport in North America.
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