Mayor's column – Rally, rugby and a region on show
Published on 21 September 2026
A fortnightly column by Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper.
Another Shield challenge, another successful defence – the Taniwha have now made a habit of winning something this region waited 48 years to see. Every time they take the field, the pressure grows and every time they have answered it.
If last weekend was good, what is in front of us is bigger again.
From Friday 25 through to Sunday 27 September, Whangārei hosts the International Rally of Whangārei alongside the Taniwha's final Shield defence of the season. Two events, two very different worlds, in the same city across the same few days.
Holding the rally in Northland has become a habit for a reason. These are the roads that once carried Rally New Zealand and the World Rally Championship, and they are still regarded as some of the finest gravel anywhere in the sport.
Nineteen years on, drivers, teams and media still travel from around the world to compete on them. Hayden Paddon has won here seven times. Names like Ken Block and Gaurav Gill have too. That is serious history for a region of our size.
What I admire most is the commitment of the fans. They will be lining gravel roads across Northland this weekend, while hundreds of volunteers work behind the scenes to make the event possible.
The last time we hosted, around 4,500 spectators came through, and the event returned more than $2 million to this region.
The rugby speaks for itself. The Shield is here, it was well earned and, on Saturday, it gets defended one last time this season.
More than anything, this weekend is a reminder of the confidence Northland is building. Here we are hosting an international rally while defending the Ranfurly Shield in front of a home crowd. It speaks to the quality of our events, the commitment of our volunteers, and the growing reputation of Northland as a place where good things happen.
This is also where our event season begins. The Silver Festival follows in October, and the Black Ferns will play here in October as well.
A district that hosts becomes a district that people visit, invest in and choose to live in, and it gives our people the chance to see world-class sport in their own backyard.
Northland has always had the talent, the landscape and the people. What we are seeing now is the confidence to match.
A weekend like this does not simply land on a region. It goes to places that have proven they can deliver, and we have. Building on these habits will benefit us and our region.
To the competitors, teams, officials and everyone who has spent months preparing, welcome to Whangārei.
To everyone else, get out there and enjoy every minute of it. Work with the officials, mind the volunteers and we will all have a great time.