Crusaders (rugby union)
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:For Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox rugby team The Crusaders (Template:Langx;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> formerly Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in the competition's history and have won a total of 13 titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025) as well as two regionalised Super Rugby titles in 2020 and 2021.
Formed in 1996 to represent the upper South Island of New Zealand in the Super 12, the Crusaders represent the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman and West Coast provincial Rugby Unions. Their main home ground since 2012 is Rugby League Park (known for sponsorship reasons as Apollo Projects Stadium).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They formerly played out of Jade Stadium prior to it being damaged beyond repair in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.<ref name=StadiumJuly2011>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=StadiumAugust2011>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Crusaders struggled in the first season of the Super 12, 1996, finishing last. Their performance improved in 1997 and the team finished sixth (out of twelve teams). The team went on to win three titles from 1998 to 2000 despite each final being played away from home. They again won the competition in 2002 after going through the season unbeaten. In the following two seasons, they again reached the final, although they were beaten on both occasions. In 2005, it was the last season of the Super 12 before its expansion. After finishing top of the table in that season, the Crusaders went on to host the final in which they defeated the Waratahs (35–25). As a result of winning their fifth Super 12 title, the Crusaders were given the trophy to keep. In 2006, the Crusaders hosted the Hurricanes in the inaugural Super 14 final and won (19–12). In 2008, the Crusaders hosted the final at AMI Stadium against the Waratahs, and won the match (20–12) to claim their seventh title. Their eighth championship came in the 2017 final when they defeated the Lions (25–17) in Johannesburg. The Crusaders hosted the Lions in the 2018 final and won (37–18), securing their ninth title. The Crusaders won their tenth Super Rugby title at home against the Jaguares (19–3) in the 2019 final. The Crusaders won their 11th and 12th title in both editions of Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2020 and 2021. They won their 11th full title (13th overall) by winning the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific final in 2022 against the Blues (21–7) at Eden Park in Auckland. The Crusaders won their 12th full Super Rugby title (14th overall) after beating the Chiefs (25–20) in the 2023 final in Hamilton. The Crusaders won their 13th full title (15th overall) after beating the Chiefs (16–12) in the 2025 final in Christchurch.
The Crusaders have been led by only three CEOs throughout their 29-year history; former New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Tew,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hamish Riach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and incumbent Colin Mansbridge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Beginnings: 1996–1997
The Crusaders franchise was created as one of five New Zealand teams in the Super 12. Originally named the Canterbury Crusaders, the Crusaders' franchise area encompassed the upper South Island of New Zealand (see Super Rugby franchise areas), and was formed from the Buller, Canterbury, Marlborough, Mid-Canterbury, Nelson Bays, South Canterbury, and West Coast rugby unions.<ref name="McIlraith320">McIlraith (2005), p. 320.</ref>Template:Efn The original Crusaders team of 1996 was captained by All Blacks prop Richard Loe and coached by Vance Stewart.<ref name="McIlraith321">McIlraith (2005), p. 321.</ref> The Crusaders struggled in the inaugural season and finished bottom of the table with only two wins.<ref name="McIlraith235">McIlraith (2005), p. 235.</ref> Their eight losses included a 49–18 loss to the Blues and a 52–16 loss to the Queensland Reds.<ref name="Gifford151">Gifford (2004), p. 151.</ref> And the First ever tour was a pre-visit to South Africa prior start of Super 12.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The following season saw a change in captain and coach, with Todd Blackadder succeeding Loe as captain and Wayne Smith taking over as coach.<ref name="McIlraith321" /> With five wins, the team finished the round-robin stage in sixth place.<ref name="McIlraith243">McIlraith (2005), p. 243.</ref> The improvement was particularly illustrated by the Crusaders' 29–28 loss to the defending champions, the Blues, which contrasted with their 49–18 loss the previous season. (The Blues also went on to win the 1997 title).<ref name="Gifford159">Gifford (2004), p. 159.</ref> During this loss, Leon MacDonald was taken out with a shoulder charge by Robin Brooke. While the Crusaders attempted to get MacDonald back on the field, the Blues scored two tries, including one by Brooke, who was later suspended for two weeks for the shoulder charge.<ref name="Gifford159" /> In their last game of 1997, the Crusaders beat the Queensland Reds 48–3 at Lancaster Park.<ref name="McIlraith243" />
Hat trick: 1998–2000
The Crusaders won their first title in 1998, despite starting the season with three losses in their first four games. They finished the round-robin by winning their last seven games, culminating in a last-round win over the Coastal Sharks (now the Template:Rut) that gave them second place in the round-robin phase of the competition.<ref name="Gifford169">Gifford (2004), p. 169.</ref> Their second-placing allowed them to host their semi-final at Lancaster Park, where they won the match 36–32 against the Coastal Sharks.<ref name="McIlraith252">McIlraith (2005), p. 252.</ref>
In the final at Eden Park, the Crusaders faced the Blues, who were heavy favourites. According to Crusaders' hooker Mark Hammett, "If we'd been polled in that week, and had to give an honest answer, most of the boys, deep down, would probably have thought that the Blues would beat us."<ref name="McIlraith84">McIlraith (2005), p. 84.</ref> The Crusaders were ahead 3–0 at half time, but the Blues scored first after half time to take a 10–3 lead after 53 minutes.<ref name="Gifford171">Gifford (2004), p. 171.</ref> After Crusader Norm Maxwell scored a try, the game was tied 10 all. Then, after a penalty each, the two teams were tied 13 all with one minute of regulation time remaining.<ref name="Gifford172">Gifford (2004), p. 172.</ref> At that moment, Andrew Mehrtens chipped the ball for James Kerr to run onto and score, giving the Crusaders a 20–13 win after the try was converted.<ref name="McIlraith85">McIlraith (2005), p. 85.</ref> The ten points scored by Andrew Mehrtens in the final contributed to his total of 206 points for the season − a record for the Super 12.<ref name="McIlraith335">McIlraith (2005), p. 335.</ref> Upon the Crusaders' return to Christchurch, they were given a parade through the city that drew 100,000 people.<ref name="Gifford172" />
The 1999 season was equally successful for the Crusaders despite struggling to make the play-offs in fourth place after winning their last four round-robin matches.<ref name="Gifford174">Gifford (2004), p. 174.</ref><ref name="McIlraith260">McIlraith (2005), p. 260.</ref> They defeated the favoured Queensland Reds (who had finished top in the round-robin) in their semi-final to advance to the final against the Otago Highlanders (since renamed the Highlanders).<ref name="McIlraith260" /> The all-South Island final in Dunedin was promoted as "the party at Tony Brown's house" after Highlanders first five-eighths Tony Brown.<ref name="Gifford174" /> Again playing away from home, the Crusaders won 24–19. The decisive try of the match was scored by Crusaders winger Afato So'oalo when he chipped the ball, then out-sprinted All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson to collect the ball and score.<ref name="Gifford175">Gifford (2004), p. 175.</ref><ref name="McIlraith106">McIlraith (2005), p. 106.</ref>
Following the All Blacks' semi-final loss in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Wayne Smith succeeded John Hart as All Blacks coach.<ref name="Polenski232">Palenski (2003), p. 242.</ref> Crusaders manager Robbie Deans replaced Smith as Crusaders coach. In Deans' first year in charge, the Crusaders won their third title in a row − a feat that would be repeated in the 2017-2018-2019 seasons.<ref name="McIlraith321" /> The Crusaders finished second in the round-robin, earning them the right to host a semi-final in which they faced the Highlanders at Jade Stadium.<ref name="McIlraith268">McIlraith (2005), p. 268.</ref><ref name="McIlraith269">McIlraith (2005), p. 269.</ref> Two tries in the final 20 minutes by Marika Vunibaka helped the Crusaders to a 37–15 win.<ref name="McIlraith124">McIlraith (2005), p. 124.</ref> The 2000 Super 12 Final was played against the Brumbies in Canberra, Australia, where the weather for the final was icy, with sleet and snow.<ref name="Gifford179">Gifford (2004), p. 179.</ref> The game was low-scoring, with only one try each. Four penalties by Mehrtens gave the Crusaders a 12–6 half time lead. Following a Brumbies penalty four minutes from time, the Brumbies led 19–17.<ref name="Gifford179" /> However, the Crusaders were awarded a penalty from the resulting kick-off, and after Mehrtens converted the penalty, the Crusaders went on to win the game 20–19.<ref name="McIlraith125">McIlraith (2005), p. 125.</ref>
Development of a legacy: 2001–2005
After winning three consecutive Super 12 titles, the Crusaders finished tenth in 2001 – their worst finish since 1996. The season was the last for captain Todd Blackadder before he left to play for Edinburgh in Scotland.<ref name="Blackadder2001">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn
The Crusaders bounced back dramatically in 2002 when they went through the Super 12 season unbeaten, achieving their fourth title. Although the Crusaders won all eleven of their round-robin matches, six of them were won by a margin of seven points or less.Template:Efn<ref name="McIlraith164">McIlraith (2006), p. 164.</ref> Their eleven round-robin games also included a record 96–19 win over the Waratahs in the final match of the round-robin stage, which was especially noteworthy given that both teams finished at the top of the table.
The Crusaders met the Highlanders in their 2002 semi-final, which they eventually won 34–23 after being ahead 18–6 at half time. The following week, they faced the Brumbies in the first final to be hosted at Jade Stadium. The Brumbies trailed 11–3 after the first half, having had only 30 per cent possession.<ref name="Gifford189">Gifford (2004), p. 189.</ref> Although the Brumbies closed the gap to 14–13 with eight minutes to go, the Crusaders held on and steadied to win 31–13 with a last-minute try to Caleb Ralph.<ref name="Gifford189" /><ref name="McIlraith165">McIlraith (2006), p. 165.</ref> The season was their first under the captaincy of Reuben Thorne, who went on to captain the All Blacks until the end of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
The Crusaders' winning run finally came to an end when they were beaten 39–5 by the Blues in the third round of the 2003 Super 12 season.<ref name="McIlraith288">McIlraith (2005), p. 288.</ref> Although their 15-match unbeaten streak had ended, Richie McCaw said of the loss, "...in some ways it was almost a relief. We'd finally been beaten, the run was over, so people could stop talking about it and we could get on with playing it week by week."<ref name="McIlraith170">McIlraith (2005), p. 170.</ref> The Crusaders recovered to finish second on the table with eight wins.<ref name="McIlraith294">McIlraith (2005), p. 294.</ref> They hosted a semi-final against the Hurricanes, who were coached by Colin Cooper, a former assistant coach for the Crusaders. Despite this inside knowledge of the team by the Wellington coach, the Crusaders won the match 39–16.<ref name="McIlraith294" /> In the final, the Crusaders met the Blues, another team coached by a former Crusaders assistant coach, Peter Sloane. Hooker Mark Hammett scored two tries to give the Crusaders a 10–6 lead at half-time.<ref name="McIlraith186">McIlraith (2005), p. 186.</ref> The Blues hit back to lead 21–10 with ten minutes to go. The Crusaders managed another converted try, but it was not enough, and the Blues won 21–17.<ref name="McIlraith186" />
The Crusaders' 2004 season began with two losses: first to the Waratahs, then to the Blues.<ref name="McIlraith191">McIlraith (2005), p. 191.</ref> They recovered to again finish second on the table with seven wins.<ref name="McIlraith302">McIlraith (2005), p. 302.</ref> They played the Stormers at Jade Stadium in their semi-final, and won 27–16.<ref name="McIlraith302" /> They met the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium in a replay of the 2000 final. The Brumbies dominated in the final, scoring 33 unanswered points in the first 19 minutes.<ref name="McIlraith188">McIlraith (2005), p. 188.</ref> The Crusaders managed to salvage some pride by narrowing the loss to a 47–38 finish.<ref name="McIlraith302" />
The 2005 season started with a repeat of the previous year's final: a Brumbies victory over the Crusaders in Canberra.<ref name="McIlraith303">McIlraith (2005), p. 303.</ref> There was a win the following week at home over the Chiefs, followed by a win over the Reds at Trafalgar Park.<ref name="McIlraith305">McIlraith (2005), p. 305.</ref> Although there was a 35–20 loss to the Bulls after Crusaders captain Richie McCaw was knocked unconscious, they eventually finished the regular season top of the table.<ref name="McIlraith203">McIlraith (2005), p. 203.</ref><ref name="McIlraith310">McIlraith (2005), p. 310.</ref> McCaw returned from his five weeks on the sideline to lead the Crusaders in their semi-final victory over the Hurricanes.<ref name="McIlraith203" /><ref name="McIlraith310" /> They faced the Waratahs in the final at Jade Stadium. Leading 14–6 at halftime, the Crusaders then moved out to a 29-point lead.<ref name="McIlraith205">McIlraith (2005), p. 205.</ref> Despite three late tries by the Waratahs, the Crusaders won their fifth title with a 35–20 win.<ref name="McIlraith205" /><ref name="McIlraith311">McIlraith (2005), p. 311.</ref>
As a reward for their seventh finals appearance and fifth title, the Crusaders were allowed to keep the Super 12 trophy.<ref name="KeepTrophy">Template:Cite web</ref> After the 2005 season, the franchise saw the departure of stalwarts Andrew Mehrtens and Justin Marshall, both of whom had played for the team since its formation in 1996.
Super 14: 2006–2010
In 2006, the Super 12 expanded to form the Super 14 when the Western Force from Perth, Australia, and the Cheetahs from the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces, South Africa joined the competition. An unbeaten run of sixteen matches was nearly halted when the Crusaders drew with the Western Force in Perth in round eleven.<ref name="Round11Review">Template:Cite news</ref> The following week, the unbeaten run was ended when the Crusaders lost to the Stormers in Cape Town.<ref name="Super14Tournament">Template:Cite web</ref> That loss was their only one of the year, as they finished top of the table with eleven wins.<ref name="06S14Table">Template:Cite web</ref> After beating the Bulls in their semi-final, the Crusaders faced the Hurricanes in the final at Jade Stadium that was played in a thick fog, causing poor visibility.<ref name="S14Final">Template:Cite news</ref> Sections of the crowd could not see the field, and many spectators left during the match.<ref name="S14Final" /> The scorers were tied 9–9 going into the game's last 20 minutes. The Crusaders' Casey Laulala then scored the game's only try before the match finished 19–12.<ref name="S14Final" />
In the 2007 Super 14 season, seven Crusaders players missed the first seven rounds of the competition to participate in an All Black "conditioning programme".<ref name="2007Conditioning">Template:Cite news</ref> The conditioning programme was part of the All Blacks' 2007 Rugby World Cup preparations; 22 players were selected for the programme. The Crusaders' seven players in the programme was more than any other New Zealand Super 14 franchise. The Crusaders players were Chris Jack, Richie McCaw, Greg Somerville, Reuben Thorne, Dan Carter, Leon MacDonald, and Aaron Mauger.<ref name="2007Conditioning" /><ref name="ConditioningSquad">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ConditioningSquad2">Template:Cite news</ref> All but one of the seven returned to play for the Crusaders in their eighth round match against the Stormers (Greg Somerville did not return due to injury).<ref name="ReconditionedReturn">Template:Cite news</ref> The Crusaders climbed to second on the table before defeating the Western Force 53–0 at Jade Stadium in the tenth round.<ref name="Force07">Template:Cite news</ref> The victory over the Force was the one hundredth Super rugby win for the Crusaders – the first franchise to reach the milestone.<ref name="Force07" />Template:Efn
The Crusaders were top of the table going into the last round of the Super 14 before the play-offs. To guarantee a home semi-final they needed to defeat the Chiefs at Jade Stadium. The Chiefs won 30–24 – and ended the Crusaders 26 game winning streak at home.<ref name="26GameOver">Template:Cite news</ref> As the Bulls defeated the Reds 92–3 in the same round, they overtook the Crusaders to finish second in the round robin.<ref name="BullsReds923">Template:Cite news</ref> The Crusaders then travelled to Pretoria to face the Bulls in their semi-final where they lost 27–12.<ref name="Semi07">Template:Cite news</ref>
The 2008 season was another highly successful one for the Crusaders. After finishing top of the table at the end of the last round,<ref name="Top42008">Template:Cite news</ref> they comfortably defeated the Hurricanes 33–22 in the semi-final,<ref name="2008Semi">Template:Cite news</ref> and went on to beat the Waratahs in the final 20–12.<ref name="2008Final">Template:Cite news</ref> It was a fitting way to send off long-serving coach Robbie Deans before he departed to coach Australia.<ref name="DeansLeaving">Template:Cite news</ref> It was also the last game for Crusaders stalwarts Caleb Ralph and former captain Reuben Thorne.<ref name="ThorneRalph">Template:Cite web</ref> In July that year former captain Todd Blackadder was appointed Crusaders coach, and his former teammates Mark Hammett and Daryl Gibson were appointed as assistants.<ref name="BlackadderAppointed">Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2009 season started with a sole win and a draw from the Crusaders' first five matches; this included a 6–0 loss to the Highlanders.<ref name="FirstFive2009">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="HighlandersLoss2009">Template:Citation</ref> The side found its feet later in the season, and won key away games which ultimately saw them finish in fourth place on the table – just ahead of the Waratahs.<ref name="RegularSeason2009">Template:Cite news</ref> Both the Crusaders and Waratahs finished the season with 41 competition points, but the Crusaders advanced through to the semi-finals due to a greater 'points for and against' difference.
The Crusaders lost their semi-final to the Bulls 36–23 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria in front of a capacity 52,000 crowd.<ref name="2009Semi">Template:Cite news</ref> The Bulls went on to win the 2009 Super 14 title beating the Chiefs 61–17.<ref name="ChiefsBullsFinal">Template:Cite news</ref> Statistically, the Crusaders had the best defensive record of the 2009 competition – conceding just 198 points. However, points for, and total tries scored was the second lowest in the competition with just 231 points and 27 tries.
In 2010 the Crusaders had a very good start to the season before a poor finish with three losses in four games caused them to have to travel to Orlando Stadium, Soweto to face the Bulls. They lost the semi-final 39–24.
2011–2016
The 2011 season had a minor hiccup at the very beginning with a two-point loss to the Blues. Their second round match against the Hurricanes was cancelled, and match declared a draw after the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February which caused 182 deaths. In their first match after the earthquake they played the Waratahs, a team that had only conceded six points in their previous two games. The Crusaders triumphed 33–18 in a convincing display in front of a sold-out stadium. They next played the Brumbies and brushed them aside in a 52–10 demolition. They next played the Highlanders who had previously only lost one match in the season, to the undefeated and table-topping Stormers. The Crusaders won comfortably 44–13 in Dunedin. The next team they played, the Sharks, had like the Highlanders previously only lost one match in the season before the Crusaders won 44–28 at Twickenham for a one-off match due to earthquake damage at their own ground. They played the second match in a sell-out crowd at Fraser Park in Timaru against the Bulls winning 27–0. Round 9 they played the Chiefs in Mt Maunganui and gained four tries winning 34–16 with Richie McCaw returning after eight weeks off with injury.Template:Citation neededTowards the end of the round-robin phase, The Crusaders were vying with the Queensland Reds for top spot in the table and with it home advantage throughout the playoffs. In the cruicial deciding match v the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, the Crusaders had a narrow lead going into the final minute when the Australian referee awarded the Reds a highly contoversial penalty and match-winning opportunity. This was duly converted, handing the Reds the aforementioned home-field playoff advantage. The Crusaders lost the final at the Suncorp Stadium to the Queensland Reds. Will Genia scored a crucial try for the Reds to help them to an 18–13 win.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
The 2012 season, the first in the new home ground of Christchurch Stadium, saw the Crusaders again reach the playoffs. However, they were defeated by the (eventual champion) Chiefs in the semi-final.
2017–2023
In 2017, Scott Robertson took over as head coach. The Crusaders lost 3–12 to the British & Irish Lions in Christchurch, during the Lions tour to New Zealand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The team went on to win their 8th Super Rugby title, defeating the Lions (25–17) in the final on 5 August 2017 at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2018, the Crusaders played the Lions again in the final. This time they won (37–18) at home to capture their ninth title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2019, they defeated the Jaguares from Argentina (19–3) at home to win their 3rd consecutive Super Rugby title, and 10th championship overall.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After 7 rounds of the 2020 Super Rugby season, the Crusaders were leading the NZ conference and were in 3rd overall (behind the Sharks and Brumbies) but the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the competition after the 7th round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, in June 2020 a domestic Super Rugby competition started called Super Rugby Aotearoa. The Crusaders won the overall title in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020, winning 7 out of 8 games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their 36-game win streak at Orangetheory Stadium was broken however by the Hurricanes in Round 7, who defeated them (32–34).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Crusaders dropped the physical trophy in post-match celebrations, chipping the pounamu mere that was on it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Crusaders returned to Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2021. Despite losses to the Highlanders (12–33) and the Chiefs (25–26), they went on to beat the Chiefs in the final and win their 5th consecutive title in a (24–13) victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following that, they went into the Super Rugby Trans Tasman competition and beat the Brumbies (31–29), Reds (63–28), Waratahs (54–28), Force (29–21) and Rebels (52–26) but came up just short on points difference needed to be able to make the final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2022 and 2023, the Crusaders won their 11th and 12th full Super Rugby title (14th Overall) in the newly formed Super Rugby Pacific competition by beating the Blues (21–7) and the Chiefs (25–20).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the end of the 2023 Grand Final, the Scott Robertson dynasty was complete and it marked the end of an era for Crusader #26 as a former player and as head coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024–
In June 2023, Rob Penney was announced as the Crusaders Head Coach for 2024 and 2025.<ref name=coaching></ref> After winning 7 consecutive titles, the Crusaders slumped to a 4 win and 10 loss season in 2024 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After a thorough review of an abysmal 2024 season, the Crusaders decided to keep Penney as Head Coach for 2025 and will finish out the remainder of his 2-year contract with the team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2025, the Crusaders had a resurgence year. They finished the regular season in 2nd place by winning 11 from 14 games and finished within the top 6. After missing the playoffs in the previous year, the Crusaders qualified and went on to host the Reds in the qualifying final at home and defeated them (32–12) in a dominant victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They advanced to the semi-final and hosted the defending champions the Blues after they beat the top seeded Chiefs in their qualifying final game in Hamilton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With the Chiefs losing, the Crusaders jumped into the number one seed spot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They defeated the Blues (21–14) after defending for over 40 phases and holding out the reigning champs to advance to the final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Crusaders hosted the Chiefs in the Final and defeated them (16–12) to win their 13th full title (15th overall) in Christchurch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Name and colours
According to the club, the Crusaders name was chosen to reflect the "crusading nature of Canterbury rugby".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A potential name was also the Plainsmen; however, this was not chosen, as "Crusaders" recalled the English heritage of the city of Christchurch.
The club adopted Canterbury's traditional sporting colours of red and black, as worn by Canterbury.
In the aftermath of the 15 March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand which killed 51 people and injured 50 more, the Crusaders considered the idea changing the team name because the symbolism and imagery was considered to be "offensive to some in the community due to its association with the religious Crusades between Christians and Muslims" according to New Zealand Rugby Executive Steve Tew but ultimately though it was kept and remained unchanged for the 2020 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Crusaders management led by Colin Mansbridge, revealed a new logo to replace the knight and sword in late 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Franchise area
Template:Image label begin Template:Image label small Template:Image label small Template:Image label small Template:Image label end The Crusaders franchise area consists of the regions controlled by the Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman and West Coast rugby unions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before 2006, when the NPC was reorganised, Canterbury was the only union playing division one (now Bunnings NPC) within the Crusaders catchment. As a result, the majority of Crusaders players were also listed with Canterbury. Today, the Crusaders catchment contains two Bunnings NPC sides – Canterbury and Tasman.
Grounds
The Crusaders' main home ground was the 36,000-capacity AMI Stadium in Christchurch.<ref name="stadiumcapacity">Template:Cite web</ref> However, they stopped playing there during the 2011 Super Rugby season due to damage inflicted by the February Christchurch earthquake. The Crusaders usually took one game each year to another part of the franchise area, most often when the New Zealand cricket team was playing at AMI Stadium.<ref name="TimaruGame">Template:Cite news</ref> Previous venues included Trafalgar Park in Nelson, and Fraser Park in Timaru.<ref name="TimaruGame" /><ref name="NelsonGame">Template:Cite news</ref>
With AMI Stadium still out of commission, the Crusaders adopted Rugby League Park (which has been renamed Christchurch Stadium temporarily) in Addington as their home ground for that and future seasons to recentralise their games in one location as opposed to the road show that was the 2011 season. The ground had a limited makeover, taking it to an 18,600 capacity stadium and bringing its facilities to the minimum standards required by the Super Rugby competition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Crusaders' management proposed playing a 2005 regular season match in Melbourne when Jade Stadium was unavailable.<ref name="NoMelbourne">Template:Cite news</ref> Although five of the seven unions within the Crusaders regionTemplate:Efn supported having the regular season game in Melbourne, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) vetoed the proposal.<ref name="NoMelbourne" /> In 2006, the Crusaders did play a pre-season match in Melbourne against the Western Force at Olympic Park Stadium.<ref name="MelbourneHost">Template:Cite news</ref> They did the same in the 2008 preseason as well, also against the Force.
Due to the 2011 earthquake, the Crusaders played four games at Trafalgar Park, and two in Timaru during their 2011 season. They also played a "home" game in Wellington in Round 18 against Hurricanes, and a special home match against the Sharks at Twickenham in London. The London match was a fundraiser for earthquake relief, and was the first Super Rugby match ever contested outside of the three participating countries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the first 30 hours of ticket sales, over 30,000 were purchased; a spokesman for United Ticketmaster indicated that the response was the strongest he had experienced for a rugby match outside of internationals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In January 2023, construction began on Te Kaha Stadium as a new facility for the city which can also be used as a home ground for the Crusaders. The stadium will seat 30,000 spectators, and will feature a fixed roof, becoming the second fully-covered stadium in New Zealand after Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. The current planned date for opening is April 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Nelson | Christchurch | Timaru |
|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar Park | AMI Stadium | Fraser Park |
| Capacity: 18,000 | Capacity: 18,600 | Capacity: 12,500 |
|
|
Template:AnchorDevelopment programmes
The Crusaders currently use their Academy to develop their players for the future and have had many players who have graduated from their academy and who have come through their system go on to play in Super Rugby and for the All Blacks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They use the Development XV (Crusaders Knights), Junior Crusaders (U18) and the Crusaders (U20) as a pathway to provide future players the opportunity to be able to play professional rugby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also have an International Academy Players Programme that primarily focuses on selecting young, up and coming players from around the globe and provides them with the opportunity to travel to Christchurch, New Zealand, to learn and gain more experience about rugby in the Crusaders environment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Honours
Super Rugby (1996–Present)
- Champions (13)
1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025
- Runners-up (4)
- Super Rugby Aotearoa Champions (2)
- Playoff Appearances (24)
1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
- New Zealand/Australasian Conference Champions (5)
Records and achievements
Season standings
A season-by-season summary of the Crusaders regular season results is shown below:
Super 12 Super 14 Super Rugby Super Rugby Aotearoa Super Rugby Trans Tasman Super Rugby Pacific
Season Pos Pld W L D F A +/- BP Pts Notes 1996 12th 11 2 8 1 234 378 –144 3 13 DNQ For Playoffs 1997 6th 11 5 5 1 272 235 +37 4 26 DNQ For Playoffs 1998 2nd 11 8 3 0 340 260 +80 9 41 Defeated Template:Rut in final
1999 4th 11 7 3 1 324 262 +62 3 33 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2000 2nd 11 8 3 0 369 293 +76 7 39 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2001 10th 11 4 7 0 307 331 −24 7 23 DNQ For Playoffs 2002 1st 11 11 0 0 469 264 +205 7 51 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2003 2nd 11 8 3 0 358 263 +95 8 40 Lost to Template:Rut in final 2004 2nd 11 7 4 0 345 303 +42 6 34 Lost to Template:Rut in final 2005 1st 11 9 2 0 459 281 +178 8 44 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2006 1st 13 11 1 1 412 210 +202 5 51 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2007 3rd 13 8 5 0 382 235 +147 10 42 Lost to Template:Rut in semi-final 2008 1st 13 11 2 0 369 176 +193 8 42 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2009 4th 13 8 4 1 231 198 +33 7 41 Lost to Template:Rut in semi-final 2010 4th 13 8 4 1 388 295 +93 7 41 Lost to Template:Rut in semi-final 2011 3rd 16 11 4 1 436 273 +163 7 61* Lost to Template:Rut in finalTemplate:Ref 2012 4th 16 11 5 0 485 273 +142 9 61* Lost to Template:Rut in semi-finalTemplate:Ref 2013 4th 16 11 5 0 446 307 +139 8 60* Lost to Template:Rut in semi-finalTemplate:Ref 2014 2nd 16 11 5 0 445 322 +123 7 51 Lost to Template:Rut in final 2015 7th 16 9 7 0 481 338 +143 10 46 DNQ For Playoffs 2016 7th 15 11 4 0 487 317 +170 6 50 Lost to Template:Rut in quarter-final 2017 2nd 15 14 1 0 544 303 +241 7 63 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2018 1st 16 14 2 0 542 295 +247 7 63 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2019 1st 16 11 2 3 497 257 +240 8 58 Defeated Template:Rut in final
2020 3rd 6 5 1 0 189 105 +84 3 23 Season cancelled due to COVID-19Template:Ref 2020 1st 8 6 1 1* 219 148 +71 4 30 No playoffs, round robin onlyTemplate:Ref 2021 1st 8 6 2 0 237 165 +72 4 28 Defeated Template:Rut in finalTemplate:Ref 2021 3rd 5 5 0 0 229 132 +97 3 23 Round robin with finalTemplate:Ref 2022 2nd 14 11 3 0 470 268 +202 8 52 Defeated Template:Rut in final 2023 2nd 14 10 4 0 457 278 +179 8 48 Defeated Template:Rut in final 2024 9th 14 4 10 0 363 369 –6 8 24 DNQ For Playoffs 2025 2nd 14 11 3 0 471 371 +100 5 49 Defeated Template:Rut in final
Notes
Template:Note Teams were awarded four points for a bye during the Super Rugby seasons from 2011 to 2013. Each team took two bye rounds each season. These additional 8 points are included in their season points tally.
Template:Note All matches after Round 7 were cancelled. the season remained incomplete and no champion was awarded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Note Super Rugby Aotearoa was announced as a stand-in replacement competition for Super Rugby, between New Zealand Super Rugby sides. It was played as a round robin competition, with no finals. All teams played the other four teams twice, with the title awarded to the highest ranked team at the conclusion of the round robin fixtures. The final round match between the Crusaders and Blues was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, with each team receiving 2 competition points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Note Super Rugby Aotearoa adopted the same format in 2021 as the inaugural tournament in 2020, with the addition of a final between the top two ranked teams at the conclusion of the round robin stage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Note Super Rugby Trans Tasman was a crossover competition between the teams involved in Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU. Each team from Super Rugby AU played each team from Super Rugby Aotearoa once, and vice versa. A final was played between the top two seeded teams at the conclusion of the round robin matches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Results per opposition
Crusaders Super Rugby record vs all opponents
| Super Rugby | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition | Span | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 49 | 35 | 13 | 1 | {{#expr: 35/49 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 52 | 30 | 22 | 0 | {{#expr: 30/52 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 48 | 34 | 13 | 1 | {{#expr: 34/48 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 48 | 30 | 15 | 3 | {{#expr: 30/48 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 0 | {{#expr: 22/31 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 2006–2025 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | {{#expr: 11/16 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 2012–2024 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | {{#expr: 10/12 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 33 | 26 | 7 | 0 | {{#expr: 26/33 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2025 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 0 | {{#expr: 23/33 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2019 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 0 | {{#expr: 17/27 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1997–2017 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | {{#expr: 9/11 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2018 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 0 | {{#expr: 19/24 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2019 | 25 | 18 | 5 | 2 | {{#expr: 18/25 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Nowrap | 2013–2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr: 2/2 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 1996–2019 | 23 | 17 | 4 | 2 | {{#expr: 17/23 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 2016–2019 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr: 3/3 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 2017–2020 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | {{#expr: 3/3 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Flagicon Template:Rut | 2022–2025 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | {{#expr: 3/5 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Template:Nowrap | 2022–2025 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | {{#expr: 4/5 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Overall | 1996–2025 | 450 | 316 | 123 | 11 | {{#expr: 316/450 * 100 round 0}}% | |||||||
| Updated to: 21 June 2025 | |||||||||||||
Individual records
- Most Points in a career: 1,708 (Dan Carter)
- Most Points in a season: 221 (Dan Carter, 2006)
- Most Points in a match: 31 (Tom Taylor, v Stormers, 2012)
- Most Tries in a career: 66 (Sevu Reece)
- Most Tries in a season: 15 (Rico Gear, 2005)
- Most Tries in a match: 5 (Macca Springer, v Force, 2025)
- Most Conversions in a career: 287 (Dan Carter)
- Most Conversions in a season: 57 (Richie MoTemplate:Fakau'aunga, 2023)
- Most Conversions in a match: 13 (Andrew Mehrtens, v NSW Waratahs, 2002)
- Most Penalty goals in a career: 307 (Dan Carter)
- Most Penalty goals in a season: 46 (Colin Slade, 2014)
- Most Penalty goals in a match: 8 (Tom Taylor, v Stormers, 2012)
- Most Dropped goals in a career: 17 (Andrew Mehrtens)
- Most Dropped goals in a season: 4 (Andrew Mehrtens, 1998, 1999, 2002)
- Most Dropped goals in a match: 3 (Andrew Mehrtens, v Highlanders, 1998)
- Most Appearances: 202 (Wyatt Crockett)
Team Records
- Highest Regular Season Placing: 1st (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2018, 2019)
- Most Wins in a Season: 17 (2017)
- Most Points in a Season: 677 (2018)
- Most Tries in a Season: 94 (2018)
- Fewest Wins in a Season: 2 (1996)
- Fewest Points in a Season: 231 (2009)
- Fewest Tries in a Season: 24 (1996)
- Biggest Win: 96–19 (77 point win in 2002 vs Waratahs – Christchurch)
- Biggest Loss: 16–52 (36 point loss in 1996 vs Reds – Brisbane)
- Most points ever scored in a game: 96 (2002 vs Waratahs – Christchurch)
- Fewest points ever scored in a game: 0 (2009 vs Highlanders – Dunedin)
- Longest Winning Streak: 19 (2018 vs Bulls – 2019 vs Waratahs)
- Longest Unbeaten Streak: 19 (2018 vs Bulls – 2019 vs Waratahs with the Highlanders Game March 2019 abandoned)
- Longest Home Winning Streak: 36 (2017 vs Brumbies – 2020 vs Hurricanes)
- First to 100 Wins: Round 10, 2007 season (Crusaders defeated the Western Force 53–0)
- First to 200 Wins: Round 16, 2016 season (Crusaders defeated the Rebels 85–26)
- First to 300 Wins: Round 10, 2024 season (Crusaders defeated the Rebels 39–0)
All Time Records
- Games played: 450
- Games won: 316
- Games lost: 123
- Games drawn: 11
- Winning percentage: (70%)
- Home Wins: 186 (83%)
- Away Wins: 120 (58%)
- Points for: 12,318
- Points against: 9,113
- Tries for: 1,634
- Tries conceded: 1,063
Playoffs
- Games played: 50
- Games won: 40
- Games lost: 10
- Games drawn: 0
- Winning percentage: (80%)
- Home Wins: 32 (100%)
- Away Wins: 8 (44%)
- Points for: 1,434
- Points against: 866
- Tries for: 149
- Tries conceded: 92
(Record updated as of 2025 season)
In addition to winning more Super Rugby titles than any other team, the franchise also holds several competition records, including most points in a game and most tries in a game, both achieved in their 96–19 victory over the Waratahs in 2002. The Crusaders also hold the record for the fewest points scored in a game when they were defeated by the Highlanders 6–0 in 2009. They have also scored the most points in a season (677) in 2018 and most tries in a season (94) in 2018.
Individual players also hold records: Andrew Mehrtens for most points in a Super 12 season (206 in 1998), and Rico Gear for most tries in a season (15 in 2005). Twenty Four players have played over 100 games for the franchise: Wyatt Crockett, Samuel Whitelock, Kieran Read, Andy Ellis, Owen Franks, Ryan Crotty, Corey Flynn, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Matt Todd, Luke Romano, Mitchell Drummond, Codie Taylor, Rueben Thorne, Caleb Ralph, Leon MacDonald, David Havili, Joe Moody, Greg Somerville, Chris Jack, Scott Barrett, Richie Mo'unga, Justin Marshall, Jordan Taufua. The Crusaders have also had three International Rugby Board Players of the Year: Dan Carter (2005), (2012), (2015), Richie McCaw (2006), (2009), (2010) and Kieran Read (2013).
Current squad
The squad for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season is:<ref name="2026 Crusaders squad announced">Template:Cite press release</ref>
| Crusaders Super Rugby squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers Locks |
Loose forwards
Halfbacks (scrum-halves) First five-eighths Template:Nowrap |
Midfielders (centres)
Outside backs |
| Template:Smalldiv |
Wider training group
The following players were named in the Crusaders wider training group for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season:<ref name="2026 Crusaders Wider Training Group Announced">Template:Cite press release</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Gus Brown (Prop)
- Template:Flagicon Jack Sexton (Prop)
- Template:Flagicon Tomasi Maka (Hooker)
- Template:Flagicon Xavier Treacy (Lock/Loose forward)
- Template:Flagicon Sam Hainsworth-Fa'aofo (Loose forward)
- Template:Flagicon Johnny Lee (Loose forward)
- Template:Flagicon Oli Mathis (Loose forward/Outside back)
- Template:Flagicon Mitchell Drummond (Halfback)
- Template:Flagicon Cooper Grant (First five-eighth)
- Template:Flagicon Cooper Roberts (Midfielder)
- Template:Flagicon Jae Broomfield (Outside back)
- Template:Flagicon Kurtis MacDonald (Outside back)
Past players
List of All Blacks
Due to the success of the Crusaders throughout Super Rugby, many players that have represented the Crusaders have gone on to play international test rugby for the All Blacks. List of All Blacks that have represented the Crusaders:
Notable players
Twenty Four players have played over 100 games for the franchise.
In order of most capped:
- Wyatt Crockett (202)
- Samuel Whitelock (180)
- Owen Franks (163)
- Kieran Read (157)
- Ryan Crotty (156)
- Andy Ellis (155)
- Corey Flynn (151)
- Mitchell Drummond (150)
- Codie Taylor (146)
- Richie McCaw (145)
- David Havili (142)
- Dan Carter (141)
- Matt Todd (141)
- Luke Romano (136)
- Scott Barrett (132)
- Reuben Thorne (129)
- Joe Moody (128)
- Caleb Ralph (126)
- Leon MacDonald (122)
- Greg Somerville (115)
- Chris Jack (114)
- Richie Mo'unga (109)
- Justin Marshall (105)
- Jordan Taufua (101)
Half-back Justin Marshall was the first player to achieve the feat, playing for the Crusaders between 1996 and 2005.<ref name="MarshallAB">Template:All Blacks</ref> Both Thorne and Ralph achieved the 100-game mark at the same time. However, Ralph had played nine of his matches for other franchises: three for the Chiefs and six for the Blues.<ref name="Thorne100">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Ralph100">Template:Cite news</ref> Ralph achieved the "100 Crusaders games" feat later that season; remarkably, they were played consecutively.<ref name="100Consecutive">Template:Cite news</ref> Greg Somerville became the next player to contribute 100 games for the franchise, achieving this in the 2006 semi-final against the Bulls.<ref name="CrusadersFull">Template:Cite news</ref> The first match of the 2008 season was Leon MacDonald's 100th game,<ref name="MacDonald100">Template:Cite news</ref> and on 11 March 2011 Chris Jack started against the Brumbies to play his 100th match for the Crusaders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Crusaders also boast three winners of the IRB International Player of the Year Award: Dan Carter (2005, 2012 and 2015), Kieran Read (2013) and Richie McCaw (2006, 2009 and 2010).<ref name="2006IRBaward">Template:Cite news</ref>
1996–2005 Team of the decade
On the eve of the last Super 12 final in 2005, a panel of experts picked the Crusaders team of the decade, which was published by the Christchurch Press. The experts chosen to select the team were: Tane Norton (former All Blacks captain), Vance Stewart (first Crusaders coach), Dick Tayler (president of supporters club), Bob Schumacher (former Christchurch Press rugby writer) and Tony Smith (Christchurch Press rugby writer).<ref name="TeamofDecade">Template:Cite news</ref>
The most notable omissions from the team were Dan Carter, Richard Loe, and Reuben Thorne.<ref name="TeamofDecade" /> Daniel Carter was omitted due to the strength of Andrew Mehrtens and Aaron Mauger who occupied the first and second five-eighth positions respectively, and because he was regarded as "the star of the next decade". Despite being considered one of Canterbury's best ever props, Richard Loe missed out as he was only in the team for the unsuccessful 1996 season.<ref name="TeamofDecade" /> The former All Black captain Reuben Thorne was omitted due to the quality of players in the lock and blindside flanker positions. The most unlikely inclusion was for Norm Berryman at right wing.<ref name="TeamofDecade" /> Berryman was picked over Marika Vunibaka and Afato So'oalo due to his crucial tries late in the 1998 and 1999 seasons that helped the Crusaders qualify for the semi-finals.<ref name="TeamofDecade" /> The team:
| Crusaders Super 12 Team of the Decade | |||||||
| Number | Name | Position | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Leon MacDonald | Fullback | |||||
| 14 | Norm Berryman | Right-wing | |||||
| 13 | Daryl Gibson | Centre | |||||
| 12 | Aaron Mauger | Second five-eighth | |||||
| 11 | Caleb Ralph | Left-wing | |||||
| 10 | Andrew Mehrtens | First five-eighth | |||||
| 9 | Justin Marshall | Half back | |||||
| 8 | Scott Robertson | Number-eight | |||||
| 7 | Richie McCaw | Openside flanker | |||||
| 6 | Todd Blackadder (Captain) | Blindside flanker | |||||
| 5 | Norm Maxwell | Lock | |||||
| 4 | Chris Jack | Lock | |||||
| 3 | Greg Somerville | Tighthead prop | |||||
| 2 | Mark Hammett | Hooker | |||||
| 1 | Greg Feek | Loosehead prop | |||||
Crusaders Hall of Fame
A Crusaders Hall of Fame was created in 2023. A selection committee was formed to meet twice a year and help select the annual inductees. The current committee is: Bob Stewart (Chairperson), John Miles, Brian Ashby, Lesley Murdoch, Sam Broomhall, Angus Gardiner, Rob Penney and Willie Heinz.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Hall of fame inductees are:
| Number | Year | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | Todd Blackadder |
| 2 | 2023 | Justin Marshall |
| 3 | 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Wayne Smith |
| 4 | 2024 | Norm Maxwell |
| 5 | 2024 | Leon MacDonald |
| 6 | 2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Reuben Thorne |
| 7 | 2025 | Mark Hammett |
| 8 | 2025 | Caleb Ralph |
| 9 | 2025<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Greg Somerville |
Coaches
The Crusaders were coached in their first season by Vance Stewart, who was assisted by Aussie Mclean.<ref name="McIlraith321" /> Stewart was replaced by Wayne Smith in 1997; McLean too was replaced, by Peter Sloane. Smith continued as coach until he was appointed All Blacks coach after the 1999 season. Robbie Deans took over the reins for the 2000 season. Deans has had several assistants: in 2000 and 2001 his assistant was Steve Hansen; in 2002, Colin Cooper; in 2003 and 2004, Don Hayes; and in 2005 and 2006, Vern Cotter.<ref name="McIlraith321" /> Deans' assistant for the 2007 season was former Crusader Mark Hammett.<ref name="HammettAssist">Template:Cite news</ref> Deans was appointed coach of Australia in December 2007, but was allowed to continue coaching the Crusaders in the 2008 season. Former captain, Todd Blackadder was appointed his successor in July 2008, with Hammett continuing as assistant coach.<ref name="BlackadderCoach">Template:Cite news</ref> Hammett was appointed Hurricanes coach from the beginning of the 2011 season,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and consequently former prop Dave Hewett was appointed assistant forwards coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2016, Scott Robertson, former Crusaders player and former head coach of the Canterbury National Provincial team and the New Zealand Under 20 rugby team, was announced as the Crusaders head coach from 2017, and finished his tenure with the team in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 6, 2023, Rob Penney was announced as the replacement for Scott Robertson as head coach of the Crusaders. He is assisted by former Crusaders Flanker Matt Todd from 2024 onwards.<ref name=coaching>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Head Coach
Assistant coaches
- Ryan Crotty (assistant coach)
- James Marshall (backs)
- Brad Mooar (assistant coach)
- Dan Perrin (forwards)
- Matt Todd (assistant coach)
Former coaches and records
Coaches
| Coach | Period | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | D | L | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagdeco Vance Stewart | 1996 | |||||
| Template:Flagdeco Wayne Smith | 1997–1999 | |||||
| Template:Flagdeco Robbie Deans | 2000–2008 | |||||
| Template:Flagdeco Todd BlackadderTemplate:Efn | 2009–2016 | |||||
| Template:Flagdeco Scott RobertsonTemplate:EfnTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn | 2017–2023 | |||||
| Template:Flagdeco Rob Penney | 2024– | |||||
| Totals (1996–present)Template:Ref | ||||||
| Updated to: 21 June 2025 | ||||||
Notes:
Notes
References
Print sources
External links
Template:S-start Template:Succession box Template:S-end
Template:S14crusade Template:Super Rugby Template:Crusaders squad
- Crusaders (rugby union)
- Rugby union teams in New Zealand
- Rugby clubs established in 1996
- Rugby union in the Canterbury Region
- Super Rugby champions
- Super Rugby teams
- Rugby union in the Tasman District
- Rugby union in the Marlborough Region
- Rugby union in the West Coast Region
- Sport in Christchurch
- 1996 establishments in New Zealand