Crusaders (rugby union) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Crusaders

Union	New Zealand Rugby Union
Founded	1996; 29 years ago (1996)
Location	Christchurch, New Zealand
Region	Buller Canterbury Mid-Canterbury South Canterbury Tasman West Coast
Ground(s)	Apollo Projects Stadium (Capacity: 18,600)
Coach(es)	Rob Penney
Captain(s)	David Havili
Most caps	Wyatt Crockett (202)
Top scorer	Dan Carter (1,708)
League(s)	Super Rugby Pacific
2025	2nd overall Playoffs: Champions
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website

The Crusaders (also known as Whatumoana in Māori) are a professional rugby union team from New Zealand. They are based in Christchurch and play in the Super Rugby competition. The Crusaders are the most successful team in Super Rugby history, having won 13 titles. They also won two special regional titles in 2020 and 2021.

The team was formed in 1996 to represent the upper South Island of New Zealand. They draw players from several provincial rugby unions, including Canterbury and Tasman. Since 2012, their main home ground has been Rugby League Park, also known as Apollo Projects Stadium. Before that, they played at Lancaster Park (Jade Stadium), which was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

The Crusaders Rugby Team

The Crusaders had a tough start in their first season, finishing last in 1996. However, they quickly improved. They won their first three titles in a row from 1998 to 2000, even though they played each final away from home. In 2002, they had an amazing season, winning the competition without losing a single game.

Team History and Success

Early Years: 1996–1997

The Crusaders team was created in 1996 as one of five New Zealand teams in the new Super 12 competition. Their area covered the upper South Island, including several rugby unions. In their first year, the Crusaders struggled, winning only two games and finishing last.

Things got better in 1997. With a new captain, Todd Blackadder, and coach, Wayne Smith, the team won five games and finished sixth. This showed a big improvement, even though they still lost to the defending champions, the Blues.

Winning Three Titles in a Row: 1998–2000

The Crusaders won their first title in 1998. They started the season with some losses but then won seven games in a row. In the final, they faced the Blues, who were expected to win. But the Crusaders pulled off a surprise victory, winning 20–13 with a try in the last minute.

In 1999, the Crusaders again made the play-offs and faced the Queensland Reds, who had finished top. The Crusaders won and went on to play the Highlanders in an all-South Island final. They won 24–19, securing their second title away from home.

In 2000, Robbie Deans became the new coach. The Crusaders continued their winning streak, claiming their third title in a row. They beat the Brumbies 20–19 in a very close final played in cold, snowy weather in Australia.

Building a Legacy: 2001–2005

After their amazing hat-trick, the Crusaders had a tough year in 2001, finishing tenth. But they bounced back strongly in 2002. They had a perfect season, winning all their games, including a huge 96–19 victory over the Waratahs. They then beat the Brumbies 31–13 in the final, which was their first final played at home. This was their fourth title.

In 2003, their winning streak ended with a loss to the Blues. However, the Crusaders still reached the final but were beaten by the Blues 21–17. In 2004, they again made it to the final but lost to the Brumbies.

The 2005 season was the last for the Super 12 competition. The Crusaders finished top of the table and hosted the final, where they defeated the Waratahs 35–20. This was their fifth Super 12 title, and they were allowed to keep the trophy. After this season, two long-time players, Andrew Mehrtens and Justin Marshall, left the team.

Crusaders scrum against the Brumbies in May 2006

The Super 14 Era: 2006–2010

In 2006, the competition expanded to Super 14. The Crusaders continued their success, winning the first Super 14 final against the Hurricanes 19–12 in a very foggy game.

In 2007, seven Crusaders players were rested to prepare for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Despite this, the team still performed well, reaching the semi-finals but losing to the Bulls.

The 2008 season was another great year for the Crusaders. They finished top of the table and won their seventh title by beating the Waratahs 20–12 in the final. This was also the last game for coach Robbie Deans, who moved on to coach Australia. Former captain Todd Blackadder took over as coach.

The Crusaders reached the semi-finals in 2009 and 2010 but lost to the Bulls both times.

The Crusaders playing the Bulls in 2006.

Challenges and Triumphs: 2011–2016

The 2011 season started with a big challenge. A major earthquake in Christchurch on February 22 caused their home stadium to be unusable. Their second game was cancelled, and they had to play many "home" games in other cities or even in London to raise money for earthquake relief. Despite these difficulties, the Crusaders reached the final but lost to the Queensland Reds.

In 2012, the Crusaders moved to their new temporary home ground, Christchurch Stadium. They continued to be strong, reaching the play-offs in most seasons, but didn't win another title during this period.

A New Era of Dominance: 2017–2023

In 2017, Scott Robertson became the new head coach. The team went on to win their eighth Super Rugby title, defeating the Lions 25–17 in South Africa.

They continued their winning ways in 2018, beating the Lions again in the final, this time at home, to secure their ninth title. In 2019, they won their third title in a row (and tenth overall) by defeating the Jaguares from Argentina 19–3 at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic stopped the Super Rugby season in 2020. A new domestic competition, Super Rugby Aotearoa, was created, and the Crusaders won it, winning seven out of eight games. They also won the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa title, beating the Chiefs in the final.

In 2022 and 2023, the Crusaders won their 11th and 12th full Super Rugby titles in the new Super Rugby Pacific competition, beating the Blues and Chiefs in the finals. After the 2023 season, Scott Robertson finished his time as head coach.

Recent Seasons: 2024 Onwards

In June 2023, Rob Penney was announced as the Crusaders' new head coach. The 2024 season was a tough one, with the team winning only 4 out of 14 games and missing the play-offs for the first time since 2015.

However, in 2025, the Crusaders made a strong comeback. They finished second in the regular season and went on to win their 13th full title (15th overall). They defeated the Chiefs 16–12 in the final held in Christchurch.

Team Name and Colours

The Horsemen performing to the crowd before a match

The name "Crusaders" was chosen to show the "crusading nature of Canterbury rugby." It also connects to the English heritage of Christchurch. The team wears Canterbury's traditional sports colours: red and black.

After a difficult event in Christchurch in March 2019, the Crusaders thought about changing their team name. Some people felt the name "Crusaders" and its knight imagery could be upsetting because of its links to historical religious wars between Christians and Muslims. Even though the name stayed the same for the 2020 season, the team introduced a new logo in late 2019, removing the knight and sword.

Where the Crusaders Play

⊗ AMI Stadium

⊗ Fraser Park

⊗ Trafalgar Park

The Crusaders' main home ground used to be the 36,000-capacity AMI Stadium in Christchurch. However, they stopped playing there after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake damaged it.

Since then, the Crusaders have played at Rugby League Park (now called Apollo Projects Stadium) in Addington, Christchurch. This stadium was upgraded to hold 18,600 fans. Sometimes, the Crusaders play games in other parts of their region, like Trafalgar Park in Nelson or Fraser Park in Timaru.

A new stadium called Te Kaha Stadium is being built in Christchurch. It will seat 30,000 people and have a fixed roof. It is expected to open in April 2026 and will become the Crusaders' new home ground.

Nelson	Christchurch	Timaru
Trafalgar Park	AMI Stadium	Fraser Park
Capacity: 18,000	Capacity: 18,600	Capacity: 12,500

Developing Future Stars

The Crusaders have special programmes to help young players become professional rugby stars. Their Academy helps develop players for the future. They also have teams like the Development XV (Crusaders Knights), Junior Crusaders (U18), and Crusaders (U20). These teams give young players a chance to play at a high level.

The Crusaders also have an International Academy Players Programme. This programme brings talented young players from around the world to Christchurch. They learn and gain experience in the Crusaders' rugby environment.

Team Achievements and Records

The Crusaders have won more Super Rugby titles than any other team. They also hold many competition records.

Super Rugby Honours

• Champions (13)

1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025

• Runners-up (4)

2003, 2004, 2011, 2014

• Super Rugby Aotearoa Champions (2)

2020, 2021

• 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)

2011, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019

Season Standings

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	Did not qualify for play-offs
1997	6th	11	5	5	1	272	235	+37	4	26	Did not qualify for play-offs
1998	1st	11	8	3	0	340	260	+80	9	41	Defeated Blues in final
1999	1st	11	7	3	1	324	262	+62	3	33	Defeated Highlanders in final
2000	1st	11	8	3	0	369	293	+76	7	39	Defeated Brumbies in final
2001	10th	11	4	7	0	307	331	−24	7	23	Did not qualify for play-offs
2002	1st	11	11	0	0	469	264	+205	7	51	Defeated Brumbies in final
2003	2nd	11	8	3	0	358	263	+95	8	40	Lost to Blues in final
2004	2nd	11	7	4	0	345	303	+42	6	34	Lost to Brumbies in final
2005	1st	11	9	2	0	459	281	+178	8	44	Defeated Waratahs in final
2006	1st	13	11	1	1	412	210	+202	5	51	Defeated Hurricanes in final
2007	3rd	13	8	5	0	382	235	+147	10	42	Lost to Bulls in semi-final
2008	1st	13	11	2	0	369	176	+193	8	42	Defeated Waratahs in final
2009	4th	13	8	4	1	231	198	+33	7	41	Lost to Bulls in semi-final
2010	4th	13	8	4	1	388	295	+93	7	41	Lost to Bulls in semi-final
2011	2nd	16	11	4	1	436	273	+163	7	61*	Lost to Reds in final
2012	4th	16	11	5	0	485	273	+142	9	61*	Lost to Chiefs in semi-final
2013	4th	16	11	5	0	446	307	+139	8	60*	Lost to Chiefs in semi-final
2014	2nd	16	11	5	0	445	322	+123	7	51	Lost to Waratahs in final
2015	7th	16	9	7	0	481	338	+143	10	46	Did not qualify for play-offs
2016	7th	15	11	4	0	487	317	+170	6	50	Lost to Lions in quarter-final
2017	2nd	15	14	1	0	544	303	+241	7	63	Defeated Lions in final
2018	1st	16	14	2	0	542	295	+247	7	63	Defeated Lions in final
2019	1st	16	11	2	3	497	257	+240	8	58	Defeated Jaguares in final
2020	3rd	6	5	1	0	189	105	+84	3	23	Season cancelled due to COVID-19
2020	1st	8	6	1	1*	219	148	+71	4	30	No play-offs, round robin only
2021	1st	8	6	2	0	237	165	+72	4	28	Defeated Chiefs in final
2021	3rd	5	5	0	0	229	132	+97	3	23	Round robin with final
2022	2nd	14	11	3	0	470	268	+202	8	52	Defeated Blues in final
2023	2nd	14	10	4	0	457	278	+179	8	48	Defeated Chiefs in final
2024	9th	14	4	10	0	363	369	–6	8	24	Did not qualify for play-offs
2025	2nd	14	11	3	0	471	371	+100	5	49	Defeated Chiefs in final

Results Against Other Teams

Super Rugby
Opposition	Span	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win%
Blues	1996–2025	49	35	13	1	71%
Chiefs	1996–2025	52	30	22	0	58%
Highlanders	1996–2025	48	34	13	1	71%
Hurricanes	1996–2025	48	30	15	3	63%
Brumbies	1996–2025	31	22	9	0	71%
Force	2006–2025	16	11	3	2	69%
Rebels	2012–2024	12	10	2	0	83%
Reds	1996–2025	33	26	7	0	79%
Waratahs	1996–2025	33	23	10	0	70%
Moana Pasifika	2022–2025	5	4	1	0	80%
Fijian Drua	2022–2025	5	3	2	0	60%
Bulls	1996–2019	27	17	10	0	63%
Cheetahs	1997–2017	11	9	2	0	82%
Lions	1996–2018	24	19	5	0	79%
Sharks	1996–2019	25	18	5	2	72%
Southern Kings	2013–2016	2	2	0	0	100%
Stormers	1996–2019	23	17	4	2	74%
Jaguares	2016–2019	3	3	0	0	100%
Sunwolves	2017–2020	3	3	0	0	100%
Overall	1996–2025	450	316	123	11	70%
Updated to: 21 June 2025

Player Records

Record points scorer Dan Carter preparing to kick a conversion.

• 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 Moʻunga, 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 Statistics

• 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)

Meet the Current Squad

The squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season is:

Famous Past Players

Many players from the Crusaders have gone on to play for the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team.

All Blacks from the Crusaders

Players with 100+ Games

Twenty-four players have played over 100 games for the Crusaders. These players are very important to the team's history. In order of most games played:

• 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)

The Crusaders have also had three players win the IRB International Player of the Year Award: Dan Carter (2005, 2012, 2015), Kieran Read (2013), and Richie McCaw (2006, 2009, 2010).

Crusaders Hall of Fame

The Crusaders started a Hall of Fame in 2023 to honour important people from their history. A special committee chooses new members each year.

The Hall of Fame inductees are:

Coaching the Crusaders

Current Coaches

• Rob Penney (Head Coach)

Assistant coaches

• Ryan Crotty (assistant coach)
• James Marshall (backs)
• Brad Mooar (assistant coach)
• Dan Perrin (forwards)
• Matt Todd (assistant coach)

Past Coaches and Their Records

The Crusaders have had several coaches throughout their history. Vance Stewart was the first coach in 1996. He was followed by Wayne Smith (1997–1999) and then Robbie Deans (2000–2008), who led the team to many titles. Former captain Todd Blackadder coached from 2009 to 2016. Scott Robertson then took over from 2017 to 2023, leading the team to even more championships. Rob Penney became the head coach in 2024.

Crusaders coaches by date, matches and win percentage*

Coach	Period	G	W	D	L	%
Vance Stewart	1996	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.20000018.2
Wayne Smith	1997–1999	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037	&&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.90000064.9
Robbie Deans	2000–2008	&&&&&&&&&&&&0120.&&&&&0120	&&&&&&&&&&&&&089.&&&&&089	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030	&&&&&&&&&&&&&074.20000074.2
Todd Blackadder	2009–2016	&&&&&&&&&&&&0133.&&&&&0133	&&&&&&&&&&&&&085.&&&&&085	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045	&&&&&&&&&&&&&063.90000063.9
Scott Robertson	2017–2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&0118.&&&&&0118	&&&&&&&&&&&&&098.&&&&&098	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&083.10000083.1
Rob Penney	2024–	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.10000058.1
Totals (1996–present)		&&&&&&&&&&&&0450.&&&&&0450	&&&&&&&&&&&&0316.&&&&&0316	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&0123.&&&&&0123	&&&&&&&&&&&&&070.20000070.2
Updated to: 21 June 2025

Notes:

See also

In Spanish: Crusaders para niños