A Wellington rugby league consortium are targeting a place in the English Super league.
A group which backed the Southern Orcas failed bid to play in the National Rugby League (NRL) two years ago have been negotiating with English rugby league officials to join their league in 2009.
The Sunday Star Times reported today the Orcas want to be included in the 12-team league when it expands to 14.
New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) acting chairman and Orcas' spokesman Andrew Chalmers said the bid was serious despite the overwhelming logistical difficulties.
The Orcas would base themselves at play eight matches at Westpac Stadium.
Chalmers said he expected to file a formal business plan within months.
He said the NZRL are merely facilitating the application, and the team would be privately-owned, with the majority backer being the same anonymous Belgian-based, English-born billionaire investor who was lined up to support their NRL bid.
A "positioning document" from the Orcas revealed they would target high profile All Blacks and Kiwi league internationals Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall.
The document admitted it is "an idea from left-field. An idea that's just crazy enough to make the fans go wild. This could be the next step in creating a series to foot it with union's Super 14."
Chalmers said English officials were "open-minded" on the prospect and he is convinced that he can sell the Orcas as a money-generating prospect, opening new markets worldwide and boosting TV income for Super League in the southern hemisphere.
