Do the Chiefs and Highlanders have the most competitive Kiwi rivalry in Super Rugby?
Much has been made of the significance of inter-conference derbies since the conference system was introduced to Super Rugby by SANZAAR in 2011, and a particular emphasis has been placed on the brutality and intensity of the match-ups in the New Zealand conference.
The Highlanders and Chiefs contribute significantly to the competitiveness of the Kiwi conference, and that much will be expected of them when they face off again for the 33rd time in Dunedin on Saturday.
Since their inaugural meeting at the now-demolished Carisbrook in 1996, which finished in a 22-5 victory for the visitors, the Highlanders and Chiefs have enjoyed a long and storied history with one another.
Plenty of scintillating fixtures have taken place since then, with some of the most entertaining viewing coming in recent years, such as the Chiefs’ 41-27 season-opening win in 2013, while the Highlanders’ unbeaten run through 2015 and 2016 provided a lot of excitement.
In those matches, club greats such as Tim Nanai-Williams and Waisake Naholo shone with their sheer talent and x-factor value, while others including Aaron Smith and Damian McKenzie have been instrumental in making this clash a standout on the Super Rugby calendar.
That winning streak, which lasted from the end of 2014 through to the start of 2017, is one of many that these two sides have endured throughout their 32 previous encounters.
In fact, there have been just five one-off wins between the two clubs that weren’t followed up with a consecutive victory by the same outfit, with the last of those coming in the Highlanders’ 23-19 season-opening win in Hamilton seven seasons ago.
Since then, the Chiefs went through two long-term winning spells, the first spanning from June 2012 through to June 2014 and the second lasting from February 2017 until February this year.
Those two victorious runs sandwiched the Highlanders’ aforementioned winning run that kept the Chiefs winless against them for six matches.
These prolonged streaks of shared successes doesn’t just make for highly-entertaining clashes between these two clubs, but it makes for an incredibly competitive rivalry in Super Rugby.
After 32 matches in locations varying from the main centres of Hamilton and Dunedin through to Invercargill, Rotorua, Queenstown and Suva, the Highlanders and Chiefs have one of the most even head-to-head records in Kiwi derby history.
Heading into this weekend’s contest, the Chiefs have the slight historical advantage with 18 wins, edging the Highlanders’ 14 victories.
With a winning percentages of 56.25 percent versus 43.75 percent against each other, the two franchises come close to a 50-50 winning percentage split, which would make their list of encounters the most competitive in the 24-season history of New Zealand derbies in Super Rugby.
However, for all the entertainment that Highlanders v Chiefs match-ups have provided over the years, it isn’t the most competitiveness rivalry in New Zealand.
Unsurprisingly, the Crusaders have dominant winning records over all their New Zealand counterparts, which will no doubt have played a hugely significant role in them claiming their nine Super Rugby titles, nullifying the competitiveness of their rivalries from an historical head-to-head winning percentage perspective.
Not one of their winning records are as close as that of the Chiefs and Highlanders, while the former has sustained a close run of results with the Hurricanes over the years.
With 18 wins and two draws from 35 outings, the Hurricanes hold a slender 51.14 percent winning run over their counterparts, with the pair of stalemates from both this year and 2011 keeping the Chiefs at a winning percentage of 42.86 percent.
Take those draws out the equation though, and the Hurricanes’ win rate inflates up to 56.25 percent, as does the Chiefs’ at 43.75 percent – the exact same record that the Highlanders and Chiefs hold between each other.
There are only two New Zealand rivalries that can better the Hurricanes v Chiefs and Highlanders v Chiefs derbies, and one of those is the Hurricanes v Blues clash.
Although they’re yet to play this year in the midst of the Blues’ apparent resurgence from mediocrity, the Auckland-based side have allowed the Hurricanes to make amends for their abysmal opening to this rivalry at the dawn of Super Rugby.
The Blues won their first eight matches between the two sides from 1996 to 2003 as they went on to win three Super 12 crowns, but their well-documented performance issues since 2011 has resulted in the Wellingtonians having the upper hand recently, with John Plumtree’s men winning seven of their last eight meetings.
Leon MacDonald’s side haven’t tasted success against the Hurricanes since May 2014, and when both teams meet at Eden Park next week, it will be the visitors who have the slightly better record thanks to their winning percentage of 50 percent.
A 26-26 draw in 2004 leaves the Blues with a lower success rate of 46.67 percent, but exclude that result, and the Blues’ win rate inflates to 48.28 percent, as does the Hurricanes’ to 51.72 percent.
Ousting that rivalry as the most competitive in New Zealand Super Rugby, though, is the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy clash between the Highlanders and the Blues.
The added importance of competing for silverware in honour of the late coach who was in charge of both clubs during the late 1990s and early 2000s has clearly spurred on the Highlanders and Blues throughout their 33-match history.
Although their eight-year drought was extended by the Highlanders after re-securing the trophy for another season following their 24-12 win in Dunedin two weeks ago, it’s the Blues who have the stronger record over the course of time, but only just.
17 wins by the Blues pips the Highlanders’ 16 victories, handing them an extremely tight 51.52 percent win rate over the southerners’ 48.48 winning percentage, making their derby fixture the most competitive within New Zealand Super Rugby.
Nevertheless, while it isn’t the closest rivalry in the country, the Chiefs and Highlanders will proceed to entertain the masses this Saturday with another edition of high-octane running rugby under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium, adding another chapter to what has become one of the more exciting fixtures in both New Zealand rugby and Super Rugby.
New Zealand’s Super Rugby derbies from most to least competitive:
- Blues 51.52% vs Highlanders 48.48% (33 matches)
- Hurricanes 50% vs Blues 46.67% (30 matches – 1 draw) – 51.72% v 48.28% excluding draw
- Hurricanes 51.14% vs Chiefs 42.86% (35 matches – 2 draws) – 56.25% v 43.75% excluding draws
- Chiefs 56.25% vs Highlanders 43.75% (32 matches)
- Hurricanes 57.57% vs Highlanders 42.43% (33 matches)
- Crusaders 58.82% vs Chiefs 41.18% (34 matches)
- Crusaders 54.05% vs Hurricanes 32.43% (37 matches – 3 draws) – 64.71% v 35.29% excluding draws
- Chiefs 64.52% vs Blues 32.26% (31 matches – 1 draw) – 66.67% v 33.37% excluding draw
- Crusaders 66.67% vs Blues 33.33% (33 matches)
- Crusaders 66.67% vs Highlanders 30.5% (36 matches – 1 draw) – 68.57% v 31.43% excluding draw
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
To be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
4 Go to commentsCan we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
4 Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
2 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
3 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
4 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
7 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
4 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
7 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
7 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to comments