Crusaders reign again as Chiefs suffer historic third Grand Final heartbreak

The Crusaders are again the kings of Super Rugby Pacific after consigning the Chiefs to a third-straight loss in the title decider.

Playing in Christchurch, the Crusaders claimed a 32nd successive play-off home match victory over three decades of Super Rugby as they downed the Chiefs 16-12 in Saturday’s final.

It’s the Crusaders’ 13th title in a combined competition while the Chiefs, who were minor premiers, become just the second team in history to lose three straight Super finals, joining the Lions from South Africa (2016-2018).

Lood de Jager on his road to recovery

Lood de Jager on his road to recovery

The victory was all the more remarkable given they missed the top eight play-offs in 2024, although they have now won three of the last four titles on offer.

“Where we were at the end of last year, the start of this year we had a mountain to climb,” said Crusaders fullback Will Jordan, who won his seventh Super Rugby title. “Everyone had to dig deep and it hasn’t been easy.”

The victory came in a disappointing week for their Australian veteran playmaker James O’Connor, who missed selection for the Wallabies’ squad to face Fiji and likely the British and Irish Lions, seeemingly drawing the curtain on his Test career.

Used off the bench for most of the season, O’Connor only came on the field to replace rising star Rivez Reihana with just over a minute remaining, having been a a steady contributor since leaving Queensland to take his chances with the Crusaders in 2025.

The Crusaders’ All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor scored a brilliant try and Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee, including a crucial second-half penalty while his opposite Damian McKenzie missed a 54th minute penalty and a first-half conversion.

Hunting their first title since 2013, the Chiefs scored first-half tries through prop George Dyer and fullback Shaun Stevenson but were unable to register a point after the break as the Crusaders’ forward and defensive pressure took its toll.

The Crusaders have now won 13 full editions of Super Rugby, including three in the last four years, as well as two New Zealand-only versions played in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID pandemic.

The defeat was a bitter blow for the Chiefs.

“It was a classic final, two great teams going at it and a small margin,” Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson said. “The Crusaders did really well to win the halfway and play at the right end of the field.

“I felt we had some good attack when we got into their half, we put some good pressure on them but we just didn’t play enough footy down there.”