Christchurch’s first Super Rugby Pacific Super Round has delivered more than double its forecast visitor spend, with a new economic impact report showing the sold out event generated $13.1 million for the city.

The three day rugby festival at One New Zealand Stadium attracted 73,187 attendees, including 42,310 unique attendees.

Fresh Info reporting showed 16,570 domestic visitors travelled from outside Christchurch for the event, along with 3,924 international visitors, including fans from Australia, the United States and United Kingdom.

Visitor spending reached $13.1 million, well above the original forecast of $6.1 million.

Visitor nights also exceeded expectations, with more than 49,000 bed nights recorded, compared with the 34,000 predicted.

ChristchurchNZ general manager of visitor economy Anne Neman said the visitor spend figure was calculated using card data linked to travellers who came to Christchurch for the event.

Neman said the figure included spending on food and beverage, retail, accommodation and transport, but did not include event passes or tickets.

She said the spending was tracked through credit and Eftpos cards from outside the region, providing the strongest indication of new money flowing into the local economy.

Neman said cash spending was not tracked, but was considered less significant.

She said the $13.1 million figure reflected actual spending through card data, rather than modelled spending.

Asked whether there was a return on investment figure available, Neman said that information was commercially sensitive, with the next two years of Super Round hosting rights still to be decided.

Neman said the initial forecast had estimated 9000 domestic visitors from outside the region and 3900 international visitors.

She said ChristchurchNZ had been surprised by the domestic attendance from outside the region, which topped 16,000.

Neman said the result showed there was a nationwide appetite for major fixtures of this kind.

The event was the first Super Rugby Pacific Super Round held in New Zealand and included the competition’s first ever sellout.

Acting Mayor Victoria Henstock said the new stadium had become a point of pride for Christchurch.

“Everybody’s looking at us, everyone’s talking about us, locally, nationally, internationally, this is the place to be,” Henstock said.

Henstock said the city could not have asked for a better way to open One New Zealand Stadium.

“Super Rugby Pacific Super Round was a historic moment for Christchurch with the action on the field and in the central city showcasing our home to the rest of the country and the world.”

She said the event brought the central city to life, with team signings, live site activations and the Fan Trail to the stadium helping create a festival atmosphere.

“Our rebuilt and revitalised vibrant city centre was made for major events like this.

“The city bids for events such as Super Round not just for the short term economic stimulus but because showing the city is a vibrant, successful place helps position us for longer term benefits such as investment and talent attraction.”

Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said the crowds, rugby and atmosphere made the event memorable for fans and teams.

“What the report shows is that the impact extended well beyond the stadium.

“More than 16,500 domestic visitors travelled to Christchurch for the event, far exceeding expectations and driving more than $13 million in visitor spend.

“It’s a great demonstration of how rugby can bring people together and create real value for the communities that host our biggest events,” Mesley said.

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said bringing Super Round to Christchurch was a fitting celebration of the city’s connection to rugby.

“I don’t think anyone who was there will forget the weekend in a hurry.

“We saw packed stands, great rugby and a city that came alive around the event.

“As proud Cantabrians, it was incredibly special to welcome Super Round to rugby heartland and to see fans experience our new home at One New Zealand Stadium for the first time.

“It felt like more than just a rugby event, it was a milestone moment for Christchurch.

“These results show the impact that can be achieved when a city gets behind an event like this.”

More than 1.2 million viewers watched Sky’s live broadcasts across the week.

The opening night match between the Crusaders and Waratahs became the most watched and most engaging match of the regular season across Sky platforms.

The host for Super Round 2027 has not been confirmed, with discussions about the event’s future ongoing.