Crusaders (rugby union)
The Crusaders (German crusaders, formerly known as Canterbury Crusaders) are a rugby union team from the New Zealand city of Christchurch. The team plays in the international Super Rugby League. It represents the regional associations Buller RFU RFU Canterbury, Mid Canterbury RFU, South Canterbury RFU, RU Tasman and West Coast RFU. The catchment area of the franchise thus comprises the northern and central part of the South Island. The home games are played at AMI Stadium. Team colors are red and black.
- 3.1 Super 12
- 3.2 Super 14
- 3.3 Super Rugby
History
The team formed in 1996 reached in its first season, only the twelfth and last place of the then Super 12 But after that she could be considerably increased and established itself as the strongest New Zealand team.
So far, the Crusaders won the championship seven times ( 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008). Three times they were defeated in the final ( 2003, 2004, 2011). In 2002, the Crusaders had a " perfect season "; they remained unbeaten in all group matches in the semifinals and the finals.
Players and coaches
Current squad
The squad for the 2012 season:
Pillar
- Nicholas Barrett
- Wyatt Crockett
- Ben Franks
- Owen Franks
Hooker
- Corey Flynn
- Ben Funnell
- Quentin MacDonald
Second - row players
- Tom Donnelly
- Ross Kennedy
- Luke Romano
- Sam Whitelock
Third - row players
- Richie McCaw (C )
- Matt Todd
- Kieran Read
- Joe Wheeler
- George Whitelock
- Luke Whitelock
Scrum half
- Andrew Ellis
- Willi Heinz
Connector
- Tyler Bleyendaal
- Daniel Carter
- Tom Taylor
Indoor Three Quarter
- Ryan Crotty
- Robert Fruean
- Tom Marshall
- Adam Whitelock
Outer three-quarters
- Zac Guildford
- Sean Maitland
- Patrick Osborne
Final Men
- Israel Dagg
Current coaching staff
- Todd Blackadder ( head coach )
- Daryl Gibson ( assistant coach )
- Dave Hewett ( assistant coach )
Former coach
- Robbie Deans
- Wayne Smith
- Vance Stewart
Well-known former players
- Pita Alatini
- Norm Berryman
- Todd Blackadder
- Ben Blair
- Ron Cribb
- Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji)
- Greg Feek
- Ross Filipo
- Rico Gear
- Daryl Gibson
- Mark Hammett
- Scott Hamilton
- Dave Hewett
- Campbell Johnstone
- Pat Lam
- Casey Laulala
- Johnny Leo'o
- Richard Loe
- Joe Maddock
- Tony Marsh
- Justin Marshall
- Aaron Mauger
- Nathan Mauger
- Standard Maxwell
- Mark Mayerhofler
- Leon MacDonald
- Andrew Mehrtens
- Bradley Mika
- Deon Muir
- Caleb Ralph
- Scott Robertson
- Kevin Senio
- Greg Somerville
- Reuben Thorne
- Moses Tuiali'i
- Marika Vunibaka (Fiji)
- Ali Williams