Chiefs (Super Rugby) facts for kids
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| Union | New Zealand Rugby Union | ||
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| Founded | 1996 | ||
| Location | Hamilton, New Zealand | ||
| Region | Bay of Plenty Counties Manukau East Coast King Country Thames Valley Waikato Taranaki |
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| Ground(s) | FMG Stadium Waikato (Capacity: 25,000) | ||
| Coach(es) | Vacant | ||
| Captain(s) | Luke Jacobson | ||
| Most caps | Liam Messam (182) | ||
| Top scorer | Damian McKenzie (1247) | ||
| League(s) | Super Rugby Pacific | ||
| 2025 | 1st overall Playoffs: Runners-up |
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| Official website | |||
The Chiefs are a professional rugby union team from Hamilton, New Zealand. They are also known as the Gallagher Chiefs because of their sponsor. The team plays in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. This league used to be called Super 12 and Super 14. The Chiefs are one of five New Zealand teams in the competition. Their main home stadium is FMG Stadium Waikato.
The Chiefs team represents seven different areas in New Zealand. These include Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, Taranaki, and Waikato. These areas compete in the National Provincial Championship (NPC). Other areas like King Country, Ngati Porou East Coast, and Thames Valley play in the Heartland Championship.
The Chiefs Rugby Club has three main teams. There's the Chiefs men's team for Super Rugby Pacific. The Chiefs Manawa is their women's team, playing in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki. They also have a men’s under-20s team.
The Chiefs wear red, black, and yellow uniforms. Their jerseys often feature strong Māori cultural designs. This connects the club to its local region. Māori culture, values, and traditions are very important to the club. This focus started with former coach Dave Rennie and continues with current coach Clayton McMillan.
For a long time, the Chiefs were the only New Zealand team not to reach the Super 12 semi-finals. But in 2004, they made it to the semi-finals for the first time. They finished fourth that year. In 2009, they reached the final but lost to the Bulls by a large score.
The Chiefs had a fantastic 2012 season. They won their first Super Rugby title by beating the Sharks 37–6 in a home final. In 2013, they won again. They beat the Brumbies 27–22 at Waikato Stadium. This made them only the fourth team to win two titles in a row.
In 2021, the Chiefs Rugby Club started their women's team, now called the Chiefs Manawa. The Chiefs Manawa won the very first Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition in 2022. They were runners-up in 2023 and 2024.
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Team History
The Chiefs team started in 1996. They were first known as the Waikato Chiefs. This was for the first Super 12 season in 1996. Before this, there was a Super 10 competition. In their first year, the Chiefs finished 6th. They won 6 out of 11 games.
Early Years and First Semi-Final
In 1997, the Chiefs finished 11th. They won 4 games and lost 7. By 1998, they improved to 7th place. In 1999, they reached 6th position. However, they still had not made the playoffs.
In 2000, the Chiefs finished 10th. The next year, they were 6th again. In 2002, they finished 8th. Then in 2003 Super 12 season, they dropped to 10th. But in 2004, things changed. They won 7 games and finished 4th. This was their first time reaching the semi-finals. They lost that semi-final to the Brumbies. In 2005, the team finished 6th.
Super 14 and First Final
In 2006, the Super 12 competition grew to Super 14. Two new teams joined. The Chiefs finished 7th that year. In 2009, the Chiefs made their second semi-final. They beat the Hurricanes 14–10. This win sent them to the final for the first time. However, they lost the final to the Bulls by a big score of 61–17. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, they did not make the playoffs.
Winning Championships
In 2012, the Chiefs made big changes. They got new coaches like Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith. They also signed new players such as Aaron Cruden and Sonny Bill Williams. These changes worked immediately. The Chiefs finished first in their New Zealand group. They won their home semi-final against the Crusaders 20–17. Then, they hosted the final for the first time. They beat the Sharks 37–6 to win their first title. They also set many club records that year.
In 2013, the Chiefs won the Super Rugby title again. They also won the New Zealand conference. They had 12 wins and 4 losses. They also won the BNZ Cup, a new trophy for the best New Zealand team in local matches.
In 2016, the Chiefs played against the Wales national team. They won 40–7. This made them the first New Zealand Super Rugby team to beat an international team.
In 2017, the Chiefs played the British and Irish Lions in Hamilton. They lost that game 34–6. In the regular season, they finished 6th overall. They won their quarter-final against the Stormers. But they lost to the Crusaders in the semi-finals.
Recent Seasons
In 2018, the Chiefs finished 5th overall. They lost a close quarter-final game to the Hurricanes. The 2019 season started tough for the Chiefs. They lost their first four games. But they bounced back and won more games. They finished 7th overall. They lost their quarter-final to the Jaguares.
The 2020 Super Rugby season was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. New Zealand Rugby then created a local tournament called Super Rugby Aotearoa. The Chiefs played well but did not win a game in 2020.
In 2021, the Chiefs lost their first two games in Super Rugby Aotearoa. But they got their first win against the Hurricanes. In the 2023 season, the Chiefs won 13 out of 14 regular season games. They hosted the final at FMG Stadium Waikato. However, the Crusaders won the final 25–20. In 2024, the Chiefs reached the final again but lost to the Blues.
Team Area and Ownership
Franchise Area
Since 1999, the Chiefs have represented several provincial rugby unions. These include Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, King Country, Thames Valley, and Waikato.
Before 1999, the Chiefs also represented North Harbour and Northland. This was to make the competition fairer. Later, North Harbour and Northland went to the Blues. In return, the Chiefs got Counties Manukau and Thames Valley.
Taranaki was part of the Hurricanes until 2013. Then they joined the Chiefs. East Coast also moved from the Hurricanes to the Chiefs in February 2025.
Ownership Details
The Chiefs team is fully owned by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). In 2013, the NZRU decided to allow private companies to help run the teams. In 2014, a new company called 'Chiefs Rugby Club Limited Partnership' was formed. This company was given a seven-year license to run the club. The Chiefs Rugby Club is owned half by the local rugby unions and half by private investors.
Home Grounds
The Chiefs play their home games at several stadiums. Their main stadium is FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.
| Hamilton | New Plymouth | Rotorua | Pukekohe | Mount Maunganui |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FMG Stadium Waikato | Yarrow Stadium | Rotorua Int'l Stadium | Navigation Homes Stadium | ASB Baypark Stadium |
| Capacity: 25,000 | Capacity: 26,000 | Capacity: 26,000 | Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 19,800 |
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Development Team
The Chiefs have a development team. This team plays in competitions like the Pacific Rugby Cup. They also play against other teams. This team is called the Chiefs Development XV or Chiefs Taua. It includes the best young rugby players from the Chiefs' area. It has Chiefs players, training group members, under-20s players, and club players.
Team Achievements
Super Rugby (1996–present)
- Champions (2)
2012, 2013
- Runners-up (3)
2009, 2023, 2024
- Playoffs Appearances (12)
2004, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
- Super Rugby Aotearoa Runners-up (1)
2021
- New Zealand Conference Champions (2)
2012, 2013
- BNZ Cup Winner (2)
2013, 2014
Brisbane Global Tens
- Champions (1)
2017
Current Squad
The players for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season are:
| Chiefs Super Rugby squad | ||
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Props
Hookers
Locks
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Loose forwards
Halfbacks (scrum-halves)
First five-eighths (fly-halves)
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Midfielders (centres)
Outside backs
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Coaches and Management
Head Coach
- Clayton McMillan
Assistant Coaches
- David Hill (assistant coach)
- Roger Randle (attack coach)
- Graham Dewes (scrum coach)
- Jono Gibbes (forwards coach)
- Marty Bourke
Management Team
- Martyn Vercoe (Team Manager)
Strength and Conditioning
- Christos Argus
- Scott Joblin
- Logan Posthumus
Medical Staff
- Teresa Te Tamaki (physiotherapist)
- Brandon Olsen (physiotherapist)
- Andrew Tai Kie (Doctor)
Performance Analysts
- Alistair Beeton
- Jesse-James Tipene
- Sam Dobson
Former Coaches and Captains
Coaches
| Coach | Period | G | W | D | L | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brad Meurant |
1996-1997 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 45.45 |
| Ross Cooper |
1998–2000 | 33 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 42.42 |
| John Mitchell |
2001 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 54.55 |
| Kevin Greene |
2002–2003 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 27.27 |
| Ian Foster |
2004–2011 | 106 | 53 | 5 | 48 | 50.00 |
| Dave Rennie |
2012–2017 | 104 | 71 | 3 | 30 | 68.27 |
| Colin Cooper |
2018–2019 | 34 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 52.94 |
| Warren Gatland |
2020 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 28.57 |
| Clayton McMillan |
2021–present | 91 | 66 | 0 | 25 | 72.53 |
| Totals (1996–present) | 422 | 237 | 10 | 175 | 56.16 | |
| Updated to: 2 June 2025 |
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Notes:
Captains
- Richard Turner (1996)
- Ian Jones (1997)
- Errol Brain (1998)
- Michael Collins (1999)
- Glenn Taylor (2000)
- Deon Muir (2001–2002)
- Jono Gibbes (2002–2008)
- Mils Muliaina (2008–2011)
- Liam Messam (2011–2015)
- Craig Clarke (2012–2013)
- Aaron Cruden (2014–2017)
- Brodie Retallick (2014, 2019)
- Sam Cane (2016–2023)
- Charlie Ngatai (2018)
- Brad Weber (2021–2023)
- Luke Jacobson (2024–present)
See also
In Spanish: Chiefs (rugby) para niños
