Chiefs Rugby

Damian McKenzie becomes latest star to pen new NZR deal

McKenzie lead the Chiefs to their ninth successive win of the season, against the Crusaders, and just 24 hours later has penned a new contract with the Chiefs and NZR.

“I’m grateful to be able to continue my career here in New Zealand with the Gallagher Chiefs and New Zealand Rugby for the next two years,” said McKenzie.

Chiefs women's team reveal 'Manawa' as their identity for Super Rugby Aupiki

The Hamilton-based franchise announced on Friday their women's team would be known as the Manawa, following an extensive process to develop an appropriate name for their debut in the inaugural competition.

Chiefs women's coach Allan Bunting led the process of developing the new team identity alongside men’s coach Clayton McMillan, New Zealand Rugby Māori Cultural Advisor Luke Crawford, Chiefs jersey designer Dave Burke, the franchise’s commercial manager Kate Rawnsley and a number of the women's players.

Chiefs extend stay in Australia

The match was originally scheduled to be played in Hamilton on Sunday, but due to on-going uncertainty around the Rebels ability to travel to New Zealand, the match will instead be played at Leichardt Oval in Sydney.

The match will kick off at 5pm NZT.

The Chiefs squad are already in Sydney following their match against the Queensland Reds in Townsville last week. The playing group stayed in Australia in anticipation of the extension of the quarantine and travel protocols.

Damian McKenzie suspended from Super Rugby

The SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee has ruled McKenzie out for three weeks following his red card for a dangerous tackle on Reds halfback Tate McDermott in the 22nd minute of the Chiefs' 40-34 to the Reds in Townsville on Saturday night.

Any incident of foul play involving contact with the head starts with a potential six week suspension.

McKenzie's guilty plea and judicial record saw the time on the sidelines reduced to three weeks by the committee of Adam Casselden, Mike Mika and Stefan Terblanche.

Chiefs victory continues NZ Super Rugby winning run

It was the ninth straight win for New Zealand teams over their Australian counterparts.

Samisoni Taukei'aho scored for the Chiefs after just four minutes, a Luke Jacobson double giving the home team a 19-5 lead at halftime after Len Ikitau provided the Brumbies' only points in the first 40 minutes.

Damian McKenzie and Alex Nankivell crossed inside the first 10 minutes after the restart, while Anton Lienert-Brown's 64th minute try wrapped up a dominant performance.

Chiefs prop Atu Moli back from second year-long injury absence to face Brumbies

The four-test All Black has been ravaged by injury in recent years, so much so he has played just 15 of the Chiefs’ last 58 games – dating back to the opening round of the 2018 season – thanks to two year-long stints on the sidelines.

The latest setback for the 25-year-old came between last year’s pre-Covid competition and the Super Rugby Aotearoa start up, where he was struck down with chronic hip dysfunction and had to undergo FAI (femoroacetabular impingement) surgery to both hips.

Chiefs shift Damian McKenzie to No 10 for Crusaders clash

A move called for by many following the team’s opening two losses, and after McKenzie had run there in pre-season, the Chiefs had stuck to their guns in starting their star playmaker in the extra space at fullback, then moving him to first five-eighth during the final 20-30 minutes of games, to get more involved on the ball and attack tiring defensive lines.

Chiefs come to party, host Blues, Crusaders in pre-season finale

The noon fixture (live on Sky Sport) will be played at Hautapu Sports in Cambridge and will be closed to the public – NZR level 2 operating protocols will apply due to the close proximity to Auckland and a desire to take maximum precautions ahead of next weekend's Super Rugby Aotearoa kickoff.

Promising North Island lock Tupou Vaa'i commits long-term future to Chiefs

The 1.98m lock hailing from Wesley College joined the Chiefs at the start of the 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa competition as an injury replacement player.

Vaa’i was widely recognised for his strong debut in the Chiefs opening match of the new competition against the Highlanders in Dunedin earlier this year.

He concluded the season with seven Chiefs caps and earned selection in the North squad for the 2020 North vs South fixture.

Vaa’i said he was excited for the opportunity ahead.

Super Rugby coach turns supermarket security guard during coronavirus lockdown

The Super Rugby season is on hold so Matson, Sunwolves flanker Mitchell Jacobson and other members of the Hautapu Rugby Club have been helping out as security at Cambridge’s New World supermarket.

“Supermarkets are a war zone,” Matson told Radio Sport‘s D’Arcy Waldegrave.

“Over the plast four or five days, as people tried to hunker down, I think the supermarkets have been the focal point of a lot of attention.

“I’m really helping out for some of the guys on long, long shifts. I go in for a couple of hours so they can have a lunch break.”