Go Media and Crusaders renew partnership for three more years

Go Media are locking in another three years with us, continuing one of the longest-standing commercial partnerships in New Zealand sport. For Founder and Director Mike Gray, this moment means far more than a contract. 

“We’ve been there from the very beginning and to renew and elevate this partnership as we head into our 30th season alongside the Crusaders is incredibly special to me, my whānau, and the entire Go Media team. We love this Club and this Team, and it’s going to be a special season,” Mike says. 

Their story with us stretches right back to 1996. Mike had just started Phantom Outdoor, towing campaign trailers for brands around the country. That same year, Canterbury Rugby asked him to tow trailers promoting the very first Super 12 season. The artwork featured our captain at the time Richard Loe with the line that still sparks nostalgia: Arise King Richard. 

Mike borrowed his girlfriend’s Honda Civic to get the job done, but it wasn’t built for the load. 

“It was too small and I ended up blowing the clutch. So, all the money I made from the job went straight into repairing her car,” he says. 

But that job opened the door to something bigger. More work followed, and soon Mike and his mates were helping inflate the Crusaders’ horse mascot wherever the team played. It was the kind of era where you could finish setting up the mascot, then watch the match from behind the goal line, standing on the field. Simple, special times. 

Across thirty seasons, Go Media and the Crusaders have created moments that have become part of our folklore. After the 1999 final, the inflatable horse was raised on the roundabout at Christchurch Airport so the team could see it lit up when they arrived home. Go Media also printed the skins for the castle at Jade Stadium, the one the horses charged out from, a moment that never failed to stir up the crowd.  

“I still remember watching the horses come through the portcullis that first night and thinking how cool it was to be part of this magical moment. Those horses are infamous now and it makes me proud knowing we played a small part in helping create that theatre,” Mike says. 

But for him, the dream always stretched further. He wanted to see Crusaders content on Go Media billboards around the region. After being turned down a few years running, he made a bold offer: a free three‑month campaign across 15 billboard sites, one creative per player, shared across Super 12 and NPC. The Crusaders board chair saw those billboards the night they went live and the relationship changed from that moment forward. 

Since then, our partnership has grown alongside both organisations. It’s been shaped by shared values, a genuine belief in sport’s ability to lift communities, and a commitment to giving back. 

“The values of our business, my vision, and the Crusaders as a Club have always aligned,” Mike says.  

“We’ve always backed sport and the difference it can make for a community, a family, or an individual. We’ve supported many teams, clubs, and community programmes because we genuinely believe giving back matters. Business isn’t just about profit.” 

Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge feels the same. 

“This is what real partnership looks like. Go Media and Mike Gray have been with us through every chapter of our journey. They understand our club, our people, and our purpose, and they continue to lean in and grow with us,” Colin says. 

Crusaders GM Commercial Doug McSweeney also knows the weight of the relationship. 

“I’ve known Mike for the best part of 15 years, and he’s always the guy you can call and know he’ll do anything to help. That says everything about the person he is and the partnership that’s grown to what it is today,” Doug says. 

As we look ahead to our move into One New Zealand Stadium, Go Media’s brand will sit proudly on the goal post pads and sideline flags.  

For Mike, the upcoming season carries deep meaning. It’s a chance to reflect not only on the journey with the Crusaders, but on everything Canterbury has been through. 

“I was at AMI Stadium on Friday 3rd September 2010 when Sonny Bill Williams played his first game for Canterbury, and I watched from the Hadlee Stand,” he says.  

“The first earthquake hit early the next morning, and little did I know that would be the last time that ground would ever be used.” 

“We lost our house and it devastated our billboard business. Like most Cantabrians, we were deeply affected. So, to watch the boys run out at One New Zealand Stadium, after everything our city has been through, is going to be the part that really feels special.”