New Zealand women’s cricket has built a solid sponsorship base over the past few years, and digital payment brands are at the centre of it. From traditional banking giants to fantasy sports platforms and emerging digital wallets, financial technology companies have recognised the commercial value of the White Ferns and domestic women’s competitions.
The shift reflects the growing profile of women’s sport and the changing way New Zealanders pay, play, and engage with cricket.
ANZ: The Major Partner
ANZ Bank stands as the largest and most visible financial brand in New Zealand Cricket. The bank is listed as a Major Sponsor of both the Black Caps and White Ferns, covering men’s, women’s, and junior cricket nationwide. ANZ’s sponsorship extends across apparel, stadia, digital platforms, and event activation.
In 2022, ANZ became an official sponsor of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup hosted in New Zealand. The bank launched the “ANZ Next XI” junior academy and the “ANZ Fanwagon” ticket and transport programme, using the tournament to drive participation and engagement among women and girls.
As a major retail bank and issuer of cards and digital banking services, ANZ represents more than traditional sponsorship. It is a key player in New Zealand’s digital payment infrastructure. The sponsorship links everyday digital banking with high-profile sport, a combination that benefits both brand and game.
Dream11 & Digital Fan Engagement
While ANZ dominates on the banking side, Dream11 has carved out a different space. India’s biggest fantasy sports platform signed a multi-year deal with New Zealand Cricket, including title sponsorship of the Super Smash T20 competition, which features both men’s and women’s teams. Fantasy sports platforms are digital products that require online payment systems for entry fees and in-app transactions.
The partnership goes beyond fantasy gaming. New Zealand Cricket also signed a five-year agreement with Dream Sports, the parent company behind Dream11 and Rario, to build digital fan engagement products including NFTs, gaming, and merchandising. Rario powers NZC’s NFT programme, creating digital collectible moments for fans.
These deals apply to both the Black Caps and White Ferns, integrating digital payment flows for fantasy gaming, NFT purchases, and merchandise. The model is fully digital, cashless, and designed to work with mobile wallets and card networks.
The Broader Digital Payment Ecosystem
Beyond the named sponsors, New Zealand’s digital payment landscape is evolving rapidly. The country now has its first locally owned digital wallet, Dosh, which is working towards becoming New Zealand’s first fully digital, locally owned bank. Dosh partnered with Visa and Pismo to deliver faster and more secure services for everyday customers.
While Dosh is not yet a cricket sponsor, its emergence shows a growing ecosystem of digital payment brands that could enter sports sponsorship in future.
One payment method already popular with Kiwis is PaysafeCard, a prepaid voucher used in online casinos, DLCs for video games and various other online purchases. PaysafeCard allows users to make online payments without a bank account or credit card. The system is widely accepted across New Zealand’s digital economy.
The potential for PaysafeCard casinos and similar prepaid digital systems to engage with women’s cricket sponsorship remains untapped but realistic. As tournaments move towards fully digital fan experiences, payment brands that enable frictionless transactions could find strong alignment with cricket’s growing female audience.
Cashless Tournaments & Digital Activation
The infrastructure is already being tested. During the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, iGoDirect worked with Visa to deliver a cashless tournament using web-to-wallet technology. Digital Visa cards were added instantly to Apple and Google wallets, enabling on-site offers, branded memorabilia cards, and instant rewards.
The same model could be applied to women’s cricket. White Ferns matches, domestic Super Smash fixtures, and international tournaments in New Zealand already attract digitally savvy audiences. Integrating payment-linked fan rewards, digital ticketing, and NFT collectibles could deepen engagement while offering sponsors measurable returns through transaction data.
Pay Parity & Commercial Maturity
The commercial appeal of New Zealand women’s cricket has been strengthened by structural changes off the field. In 2022, New Zealand’s female cricketers secured match-fee parity with male players under a five-year deal covering NZC, major associations, and the players’ association. The agreement increased the number of women’s domestic contracts and raised maximum earnings at domestic level.
All this commercial growth and digital infrastructure ultimately exists to support the players on the field. Few embody the White Ferns’ journey better than Sophie Devine, who has spent nineteen years at the crease as the heart of New Zealand women’s cricket. Her longevity, leadership, and consistent performance have made her one of the most recognisable faces in the sport, and a key figure in attracting the kind of long-term sponsorship partnerships that now underpin the White Ferns.
Pay parity signals a more commercially mature environment. It makes women’s cricket more attractive to large financial and digital payment sponsors. Investment in the White Ferns is now investment in a professional, sustainable, and growing product.
What Comes Next
Digital payment brands have already claimed significant territory in New Zealand women’s cricket, led by ANZ’s long-term backing and Dream11’s digital engagement model. As the ecosystem matures, there is clear room for new entrants, particularly prepaid and wallet-based platforms like PaysafeCard and Dosh.
The shift to cashless venues, digital rewards, NFTs, and fantasy platforms means women’s cricket is no longer just a broadcast or ticketing asset. It is a digital commerce opportunity. Payment brands that recognise this early stand to build lasting visibility with one of New Zealand sport’s fastest-growing audiences.
For now, ANZ remains the anchor. The game is changing, and the door is open.
Loves all things female cricket