Four-time Crusaders champ pushing for All Blacks with booming boot

Chay Fihaki exudes a striking calm both on and off the field. Off the pitch, he is thoughtful and softly spoken, but on it, he is competitive, clinical, and versatile, boasting the most prodigious left foot in New Zealand rugby.

The All Blacks XV winger has won four Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders, achieving 82 points and 30 wins in 45 matches. In the 2025 NPC, he helped Canterbury win their first title since 2017. He has played 62 games in red and black, accomplishing 42 victories and scoring 170 points.

Fihaki is on his second tour with the All Blacks XV. Although he did not play in the 33-19 victory over the Barbarians in London last week, he delivered a typically solid 80-minute performance in the 31-14 win against England A in Bath on Saturday. He was instrumental in setting up the first try for prolific winger Caleb Tangitau.

“My goal on this tour is to keep growing as a player and to be a good teammate. I’m going to enjoy every moment and take nothing for granted,” Fihaki shared with Rugby Pass.

That measured approach has generally brought success. Fihaki was first summoned to the All Blacks as injury cover in September 2024 and appears to be on the brink of breaking the glass ceiling.

However, a Fihaki fumble did allow lively England A fullback, Josh Hodge, to score a try. Nevertheless, Fihaki is usually secure under high balls. Winning aerial contests has become increasingly important in modern rugby.

“It’s something we spend a lot of time on—both kicking and regaining possession,” Fihaki noted. “Sometimes it’s a bit of a 50/50, as teams have become very good with their kick and chase strategies. It’s crucial to remain calm, and sometimes a tap-back or good body position can make the difference.”

Fihaki made a big difference on the All Blacks XV tour last year. He scored a try in the pulsating 38-24 victory against Munster at a sold-out Thomond Park, and he started in the gritty 31-13 triumph versus Georgia in Montpellier.

Otherwise, 2024 had been a challenging season. The Crusaders missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015, suffering six defeats by less than a converted try. In the NPC, Canterbury won a modest six out of ten matches but were embarrassed 65-19 in a record hiding by North Harbour.

“It was hard last year because we weren’t losing by much. The culture and the connection in both teams were strong, but we needed to change our mindset, especially in the last 20 minutes,” Fihaki acknowledged.

“This year we took on board the learnings, less panic and more clear thinking. It was awesome to be part of.”

The Crusaders won seven matches by ten points or fewer, securing their 14th Super Rugby Pacific title, while Canterbury lost only one match in the NPC. In a thrilling 23-15 quarter-final victory against Counties Manukau, Fihaki scored what turned out to be the winning try in the seventh minute of extra time. This was his most significant moment in a Canterbury jersey since he kicked a late 55-meter penalty in a narrow 34-33 victory over Auckland in 2021, preventing potential regulation embarrassment in the old NPC.

Fihaki, the son of a Fijian mother and a Tongan father, is an alumnus of Sacred Heart College, one of New Zealand’s most renowned rugby nurseries. In 2017, he played for the First XV, which unfortunately lost the Auckland 1A final at Eden Park to St. Kentigern College. The

Presbyterians staged a remarkable comeback from a 19-6 deficit at halftime, thanks to inspired performances from future All Blacks prop and flatmate Tamaiti Williams, along with All Blacks XV first five-eighth Rivez Reihana.

Next Sunday, the All Blacks XV will face Uruguay at Stade Raoul-Barrière in Béziers, France. Uruguay defeated Portugal 26-8 in their latest international and have qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, their fourth consecutive appearance at the tournament.

At the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks thrashed Uruguay 73-0. The first official meeting between a team from New Zealand and Uruguay took place in 1976, when a non-All Blacks XV went on an unbeaten nine-game tour of South America and beat Uruguay 64-3 in Montevideo. Canterbury outside back Scott Cartwright scored three of the visitors’ eleven tries with fellow Cantabrian Richard Wilson booting 20 points.

Infamously, All Blacks prop John Spiers was almost attacked by a knife-wielding spectator after a brawl broke out in the first minute. Fortunately, no harm was done, and the event is recalled humorously in the autobiographies of Captain Graham Mourie and the late Stu Wilson.