Ranking every Super Rugby final from worst to best

Cameron McMillan updates his annual rankings of previous Super Rugby final encounters with the help of a hazy memory, YouTube highlights and Herald match reports.
31) Bulls 61 Chiefs 17 - 2009
Stephen Donald set up Lelia Masaga for the opening try thanks to some classy footwork to give the

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Otago Daily Times

7 hours ago

• Otago Daily Times

Time for Chiefs to put Super back into rugby

It might shock you to learn your columnist does not have a great deal of affection for the Crusaders. In fact, just the other day he was heard to mention if the Crusaders were matched against the Gestapo XV, he would be barracking for the Germans. While some rather misguided souls feel it is in their interests to support the Evil Empire in tonight's Super Rugby final in some sort of show of southern solidarity, The Last Word stands firm. Last season — when the Crusaders collapsed — was glorious. The world is a terrible enough place without seeing the men from the flatlands at the top of Super Rugby again. We must unite as one and ask the rugby gods to bless the Chiefs. It would be cruel if they were to lose a third straight final, and coach Clayton McMillan deserves to go out a winner. ... for the Chiefs One thing I will say for the Crusaders. They have done exceptionally well to bounce back from the horrors of 2024. Having a dozen All Blacks helps, of course. But the really interesting thing is that, if the Crusaders are to win this final (sigh), they will do it without a top-class first five, which goes against the common belief any champion team must have a star in the No10 jersey. No disrespect to emerging talent Rivez Reihana, but he is simply not that star. It could actually be two straight years for that situation. Harry Plummer was in great form for the Blues last year but, to be blunt, he is hardly going to be remembered as one of our best first fives. Perhaps not since the Bulls fielded Derick Hougaard in the 2007 final has a Super Rugby champion fielded a first five who was not world-class or close to it. Dan Carter (2008), Morne Steyn (2009-10), Quade Cooper (2011), Aaron Cruden (2012-13), Bernard Foley (2014), Lima Sopoaga (2015), Beauden Barrett (2016) and Richie Mo'unga (2017-23, otherwise known as the grim years) were all class acts. Off again Understandable but still a little disappointing the great Ardie Savea is off on another sabbatical and will miss Super Rugby in 2026. He was immensely influential for Moana Pasifika in his first season with his new team, and Super Rugby does not need its best players ducking off to Japan to make some cash. Not sure what the solution is, though. Grubbing away There were extraordinary scenes in the world of State of Origin this week. I am not talking about game two — though it was great to see Queensland win, thanks to a wonderful first half, not just because that is where my allegiances lie but because it sets up a decider, which is always nice. The biggest story was Queensland coach Billy Slater's emotional press conference after being referred to as a "grub" by former New South Wales prop and commentator Aaron Woods. Slater was almost trembling as he spoke at length about everything from a person's character to the "privileged position" held by journalists and broadcasters. He also shocked some people — and has since apologised — when he talked about how people coped with criticism and referred to former Queensland coach Paul Green perhaps being one of those who could not. Green died by suicide in 2022 and a post-mortem found he had been living with a severe case of the CTE brain disease. All this, seemingly, because of the word "grub". It seems so mild, yet it is basically the worst thing you can say about anyone in the rugby league world. Golden boy Safe travels, Nico Porteous. The Olympic champion has retired from elite-level freeskiing competition at the tender age of 23, having won it all and done it all. Most of us will never really understand the depths of courage and skill it takes to succeed in a sport like that, and Porteous will rightly be remembered as a New Zealand sporting great. Just a farce Not sure what is worse. Fifa bringing in a bloated, essentially pointless World Club Cup to further clog the football calendar. Or a system that leads to the New Zealand representative being Auckland City, an allegedly semi-professional team (bet their budget is comfortably higher than the Dunedin City Royals' or Wanaka's), who were smashed 10-0 by Bayern Munich. Bonkers all round. Old mate The sports story of the week has to be Kazuyoshi Miura. Miura — 58 years and 109 days old — made the first appearance of his 40th football season when he came off the bench for Atletico Suzuka in the Japanese fourth division. Miura, who has also played club football in Italy, Croatia, Portugal and Australia, scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan, the last of which came in 2000. Believe it or not, though, it seems he is not the oldest professional footballer in the world. The Guardian recently profiled Mykola Lykhovydov, running around in the Ukraine third tier at 59. Guinness World Records report the oldest player in the history of professional football was Ezzeldin Bahader, who appeared for an Egyptian club with the magnificent name of 6th of October SC in March 2020, aged 74. Astonishingly, Bahader scored from the penalty spot in that game, making him also the oldest scorer. And the fun fact of the week is 6th of October is a desert city in the Greater Cairo region, named for the start of the Yom Kippur War, the fourth Arab-Israeli War lasting 19 days.

RNZ News

15 hours ago

• RNZ News

Chiefs star Quinn Tupaea aims for Super Rugby Pacific title, All Blacks recall

HOLD FOR FRIDAY Quinn Tupaea was just a youngster, when the Chiefs won back-to-back titles in 2012-13. Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final Crusaders v Chiefs Kickoff: 7,05pm Saturday, 18 June Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch Live blog updates on RNZ Quinn Tupaea was a Chiefs fan before he was a player and he'd like nothing more than to help the franchise win another Super Rugby title. Twelve years have passed since they last lifted the trophy and they've suffered the heartbreak of defeat in the past two finals. They take on the Crusaders in Saturday night's title decider in Christchurch, where the hosts have never lost a playoff game . The Chiefs finished as top qualifiers for the post-season and midfielder Tupaea played a big role in their success, scoring several tries and making big defensive plays for his side. He said winning a Super Rugby title would be a career highlight. "That's the dream, that's the goal," Tupaea said. "Born in bred in Hamilton, I grew up a Chiefs fan, so to bring a championship to the city and to this region would mean the world to myself and this team." He was just a youngster, when the Chiefs won back-to-back titles in 2012-13, but Tupaea, 26, remembers them well. "I was 12 and 13," he said. "I was at those finals, sat in the family zone on the left side of the stadium and have some great memories with my family. "Looking back on it now, that's the feeling I want to bring to our fans and win a championship for our region. "There's been a lot of heartbreak for our fans the last 4-5 years, not getting over the line. We have very passionate fans and we get great crowds every week, so to bring the title to Hamilton for our fans, that would mean a lot." Tupaea's form in the Chiefs midfield has been impressive this season, but he's quick to credit his team for helping him produce consistent performances. "I've been showing up to work every day, wanting to get better, and my success this year has been on the back of of a successful team as well," he said. "It's a lot easier to play behind a good pack, and good nine and 10 [halfback and first-five] combo." "I'm enjoying my rugby and pretty happy." Quinn Tupaea's Super Rugby Pacific form may earn him an All Blacks recall. Photo: Brett Phibbs / Tupaea's played so well, he could earn an All Blacks recall on Monday, when the squad to play France in three tests in July is named. He hasn't featured for the All Blacks since 2022, when he suffered a serious knee injury against the Wallabies. While firmly focused on the task at hand with the Chiefs, he doesn't conceal his desire to return to the national side. "I would obviously like to get recalled into the [All Blacks] squad," Tupaea said. "It's a goal I set myself every year. "It's a place I want to be playing and it's the team I want to be in - it's a no-brainer. I'd like to hear my name called on Monday." Before then, the Chiefs must overcome history and end the Crusaders 31-match unbeaten run in home playoffs to win Saturday's Super Rugby Pacific final. Tupaea said that would make victory all the sweeter. "That's it - 31 and one, thank you very much!" Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Scoop

17 hours ago

• Scoop

Cowbell-Gate And Toxic Crusaders Push Super Rugby Pacific In The Right Direction

Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final Crusaders v Chiefs Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 21 June Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch Live blog updates on RNZ Analysis: Are we finally getting there as a rugby fanbase? This week's big rugby story wasn't about injuries, selections or even the impending All Black squad announcement. No, it was about the banning of an either beloved or despised noisemaker - depending on where you're from - for Saturday night's Super Rugby Pacific grand final. The news that the Crusaders have forbidden cowbells for the game came out of nowhere on Wednesday. Well, almost nowhere, as that's the best way to describe LinkedIn. The last time the headquarters of humble bragging made rugby news was during the fallout of Ian Foster infamously ducking a press conference, but this time it was the platform Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge used to pass his heavy-handed edict on the use of cowbells at Apollo Projects Stadium. Was it a total work from the start? Given the Chiefs response was to encourage travelling fans to use a recently launched cowbell app, it certainly seems so, but it doesn't matter if Mansbridge and Chiefs counterpart Simon Graafhuis cooked this all up over a beer, because it's this sort of outside-the-box thinking rugby needs. The Blues have made a concerted effort to use their social media platforms to show a bit of attitude, while Rieko Ioane is happy enough to simply do it himself. The current environment is one that's catching up with the way things are done overseas, but also shows that things can head into that sweet spot of suspended disbelief and still generate legitimate interest. To put things in perspective, an RNZ Facebook post about the cowbell ban on Wednesday pulled in more than 10 times the number of comments than any other story that day. Why? Because it was an easy outlet to vent frustration. You didn't need to know anything about the Crusaders and Chiefs final, or even rugby, but the door was opened to have a view on a much more black-and-white issue. Because really, this was the Crusaders finally embracing the very powerful 'you might hate us, but we hate you even more' attitude, one they've unfortunately earned full right to make use of, thanks to their now extensive trophy collection. Teams don't owe each other anything on the field, so why would they off it? Admittedly, due to the wider issue of hooliganism, football's restriction makes away trips all the more intimidating nonetheless. In many countries, you have to sit in one specific part of the stadium, alcohol is prohibited, and fans aren't even allowed in certain parts of the city before and after the match. There's nothing wrong with making another team's fans feel uncomfortable. If anything, it'll force them to adapt and support their team even louder, which is what happens when you pen everyone in an away section. For far too long, rugby has used the British crutch of being a sport for the landed gentry to preclude itself from any forward-thinking marketing strategies. The irony is the cloyingly class-based restrictions being presented with a straight face, like the laughable 'respect the kicker' tradition in UK stadiums. The best part of Cowbell-gate is how it should hopefully start some serious feudalism going forward. Win or lose, the Chiefs now have the entire off season to think of a way of getting back at the Crusaders and their fans, perhaps making each one entering FMG Stadium Waikato pass an eye test or proving their family's genealogy doesn't overlap too much. If the Chiefs can pull off a win, there will be absolutely no surprises at all, if the first thing they do is pull a cowbell out and give the home fans something to listen to when they're trudging home.