{"id":472410,"date":"2026-02-11T08:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T08:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472410\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T08:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T08:02:08","slug":"super-rugby-back-for-30th-year-crusaders-favourites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472410\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Rugby back for 30th year, Crusaders favourites?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Can<\/p>\n

Can the Crusaders win again in 2026 in the competitions 30th year PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

It’s the 30th year of Super Rugby after numerous different versions and perhaps still with ithe same favourites, the Crusaders.<\/p>\n

However the Crusaders will be away in Dunedin against the young but improving Highlanders who have the possible next All Blacks coach in Jamie Joseph.<\/p>\n

Also playing away is Moana Pasifika at Lautoka against Fijian Drua with former All Black Ngani Laumape at centre. <\/p>\n

The Blues host the Chiefs at Eden Park on Saturday evening with the visitors looking strong across the board.<\/p>\n

The pick to challenge the Crusaders in 2026, the Hurricanes get the bye in week one.<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 7:05pm Friday 13 February<\/p>\n

Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin<\/p>\n

Highlanders: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Jack Taylor, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 4 Oliver Haig, 5 Mitch Dunshea, 6 Te Kamaka Howden, 7 Sean Withy, 8 Lucas Casey, 9 Folau Fakatava, 10 Cameron Millar, 11 Jona Nareki, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 13 Jonah Lowe, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens<\/p>\n

Bench: 16 Henry Bell, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Rohan Wingham, 19 Will Stodart, 20 Veveni Lasaqa, 21 Adam Lennox, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Tanielu Tele’a<\/p>\n

Crusaders: 1 Finlay Brewis, 2 George Bell, 3 Seb Calder, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 5 Jamie Hannah, 6 Dom Gardiner, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 9 Noah Hotham, 10 Rivez Reihana, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 David Havili (c), 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 Chay Fihaki<\/p>\n

Bench: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Taha Kemara, 23 Will Jordan<\/p>\n

Fijian Drua v Moana Pasifika<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 4:35pm Saturday 14 February<\/p>\n

Moana Pasifika: 1 Tito Tuipulotu, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 3 Chris Apoua, 4 Tom Savage, 5 Allan Craig, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 7 Semisi Paea, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 9 Jonathan Taumateine, 10 Patrick Pellegrini, 11 Solomon Alaimalo, 12 Ngani Laumape, 13 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 14 Tevita Ofa, 15 William Havili<\/p>\n

Bench: 16 Samiuela Moli, 17 Abraham Pole, 18 Feleti Sae-Ta’ufo’ou, 19 Ofa Tauatevalu, 20 Dominic Ropeti, 21 Siaosi Nginingini, 22 Denzel Samoa, 23 Glen Vaihu<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 7:05pm Saturday 14 February<\/p>\n

Blues: 1 Joshua Fusitu’a, 2 Bradley Slater, 3 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 4 Sam Darry, 5 Josh Beehre, 6 Torian Barnes, 7 Dalton Papali’I (c), 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 9 Finlay Christie, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 11 Caleb Clarke, 12 Pita Ahki, 13 AJ Lam, 14 Cole Forbes, 15 Zarn Sullivan<\/p>\n

Bench: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Laghlan McWhannell, 20 Anton Segner, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Codemeru Vai<\/p>\n

Chiefs: 1 Jared Proffit, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3 George Dyer, 4 Josh Lord, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 6 Kaylum Bosher, 7 Jahrome Brown, 8 Luke Jacobson, 9 Xavier Roe, 10 Josh Jacomb, 11 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 13 Daniel Rona, 14 Kyren Taumoefolau, 15 Etene Nanai-Seturo<\/p>\n

Bench: 16 Tyrone Thompson, 17 Benet Kumeroa, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Tepaea Cook-Savage, 23 Kyle Brown<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 9:35pm Friday 13 February<\/p>\n

Kick-off: 9:35pm Saturday 14 February<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can the Crusaders win again in 2026 in the competitions 30th year PHOTO: LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY It’s the 30th…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472411,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-472410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}