The Blues (known as the Auckland Blues from 1996 to 2000) is a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

professional

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

team based in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, who play in the

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, the Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003. Additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022 and semi-finalists in 2007 and 2011.

History

Formation, Early Years and Immediate Success (1996–97)

Along with New Zealand's other Super Rugby sides, the Blues were established by the NZRU to take part in the newly formed Super 12 competition which, involved teams from South Africa and Australia in addition to New Zealand. Each of New Zealand's five sides represented a number of provincial unions, with the Blues representing the

, Counties Manukau and

Thames Valley The Thames Valley is an informally-defined sub-region of South East England, centred on the River Thames west of London, with Oxford as a major centre. Its boundaries vary with context. The area is a major tourist destination and economic hub, ...

unions, while the neighbouring

Waikato Chiefs The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs and officially called the Gallagher Chiefs for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Hamilton, Waikato. The team competes in the Super Rugby competition ...

representing the

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...

, King Country, Northland and North Harbour unions. As the amount of international representatives in the Auckland region was thought to be unfair, it was split up between The Blues and The Chiefs. During this era, the Blues played the majority of their home matches at

Eden Park Eden Park is New Zealand's largest sports stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. Located in central Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, it is three kilometres southwest of the Auckland CBD, CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount E ...

, with round robin fixtures occasionally held at

Growers Stadium Navigation Homes Stadium is a stadium in Pukekohe, New Zealand. Its usual tenants are the Counties Manukau Rugby Union, whose first-class team compete in the National Provincial Championship. In July 2009, Counties Manukau announced that Bayer ...

Pukekohe Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is in South Auckland, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. ...

. The Blues tasted immediate success, winning the

Super 12 Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

back-to-back in 1996 and 1997. In 1996 the side won eight of eleven round robin matches and finished the regular season in second place (behind the

Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competitions ...

on 41 points. They then went on to defeat Northern Transvaaal, now the

Bulls Bulls may refer to: *The plural of bull, an adult male bovine *Bulls, New Zealand, a small town in the Rangitikei District Sports *Bucking bull, used in the sport of bull riding * Bulls (rugby union), a South African rugby union franchise operated ...

, 48–11 in the semi-final at

. This result secured a home final, where the Blues comfortably defeated the 45–21. In 1997, the side improved on their previous season, comfortably topping the table with 50 points after going undefeated in the regular season, the sole blemish on an otherwise perfect season being a draw with Northern Transvaal in a re-match of the previous season's semi-final. The Blues once again easily won their semi-final, defeating the 55–36 at

and again securing a home final. The 1997 final was a more hard fought encounter than the previous year's, with the Blues defeating the

ACT Brumbies The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005–2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inh ...

23–7.

Middle Years (1998–2005)

By the end of the 1990s the number of international representatives from the Blues region had decreased. This led the Blues and the Chiefs to arrange a swap, where the Chiefs would represent the

and Counties Manukau provincial unions in exchange for the Blues representing the Northland and North Harbour unions in addition to

. Although in the seasons leading up to the trade North Harbour and Northland had outperformed Counties Manukau and

in provincial rugby (thus potentially widening the already sizeable gap between the Blues' and Chiefs' on-field performance), it enabled both teams to represent unions in closer geographical proximity. Because of this trade, the Blues lost the area colloquially referred to as '' South Auckland'', (excluding those portions of the South Auckland to the north of Manurewa). Thus, the Blues traded a portion of South Auckland for the Northern portion of the

region and Northland, and still do not represent the entire Auckland region. Generally supporters in the South Auckland region identify as Blues supporters even though they are technically in the Chiefs region. In 2000, the Auckland Blues dropped the Auckland prefix from their name, and became known simply as 'Blues'. The 1998 season saw the Blues again top the points table with 43 points at the conclusion of the round robin, with nine wins and two losses to their credit. They defeated the

Otago Highlanders The Highlanders (formerly the Otago Highlanders) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competit ...

by 37–31 in the side's third consecutive home semi-final, securing a home final against the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

, a match which promised a great deal due to Auckland's traditional sporting rivalry with Canterbury. The Crusaders ultimately won the match by 20–13, putting an end to the Blues' dominance of the competition. From 1999 – 2002 the Blues' onfield performance was poor, missing the playoffs every season, finishing at an all-time low of 11th on the ladder in

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

with just four wins for the season. The club was able to turn its from around in the 2003 season, topping the ladder with 49 points and 10 wins from 11 matches. The team went on to defeat the

by 42–21 in the semi-final, before beating the Crusaders 21–17 in the final for the team's third

title. The Blues were unable to follow their 2003 success up in 2004 and 2005 however, missing the playoffs in both seasons.

Super 14 Era (2006–10)

The expanded 14 team competition could not have started worse for the Blues, who were in 2006 forced by the NZRU to include North Harbour captain

Rua Tipoki Te Rua Reihana Tipoki (born 11 August 1975 in Te Puia Springs, New Zealand) brought up in Te Araroa in Gisborne, is a rugby union player who captained North Harbour to Ranfurly Shield victory in 2006. Tipoki played for a wide variety of teams ...

in their squad of 24 players who are 'protected' from the draft. Tipoki was originally to be excluded from the draft due to personal circumstances to stay in Auckland.

Andrew Mehrtens Andrew Philip Mehrtens (born 28 April 1973) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He was regarded as a top first five-eighth, having played first for Canterbury in 1993, before being selected for the All Blacks (New Zealand's national t ...

had in the past done this with the Crusaders. The NZRU however forced coach David Nucifora to pick Tipoki in his 24-man squad and hence drop another player. It is believed the NZRU was in favour of dropping players such as

Isa Nacewa Isakeli "Isa" Nacewa (born 22 July 1982) is a former rugby union player and coach. Born in New Zealand of Fijian descent, he represented the Fiji national team, winning one cap in 2003. Nacewa was a utility back who played for the Blues in th ...

who are ineligible to play for the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

. Instead, Nucifora excluded All Black

Isaia Toeava Isaia "Ice" Toeava (born 15 January 1986) is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand. Early career Toeava was born in Samoa but moved to New Zealand in 1994 to live with his grandmother. He attended De La Salle College, Mangere Eas ...

, who subsequently played for the

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

in 2006. Following the draft fiasco, and the forgettable season which followed, the Blues showed signs of resurgence in 2007, finishing the round robin in fourth place, securing a semi-final against the

Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...

in Durban. The travel and form of the opposition were too difficult to overcome, however, with the Blues losing to the eventual runners-up by 34 – 18. The 2008 season, the final under coach

David Nucifora David Nucifora (born 15 January 1962) is a rugby union former player, coach and performance director. Playing career Nucifora played for Queensland and Australia. He played as a hooker. He played for the Queensland team from 1986–1993 and ...

, saw the team finish the season with an 8 – 5 record and a sixth-place finish on the ladder. In 2009, Pat Lam was appointed as coach, however the team was not able to make significant improvements under his leadership for the remainder of Super 14, missing the playoffs in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Super Rugby Era (2011–present)

2011 season

In 2011 the Super Rugby competition was expanded to 15 teams and adopted a conference format. The Blues had a successful start to the season, defeating the Crusaders by 24–22 at

. This was followed by a win and a loss on their South African tour, followed by a 22-all draw against the Western Force in Perth. This was followed by a seven match winning streak between rounds five and twelve. However, the mid-season winning streak came to an abrupt end with a 37 – 31 loss to the

in Brisbane, which initiated a four match losing-streak. In the final round-robin match of the season, the Blues defeated the Highlanders by 33–16 at

, securing the side's first playoff appearance since 2007 and first home playoff match since 2003. The team subsequently defeated the

New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby competition. The Riverina and other southern parts of the stat ...

26 – 13 to secure a semi-final against the

in Brisbane, which they lost 30–13. The 2011 season also marked the departure of

Kurtis Haiu Kurtis Taniela Haiu (14 July 1984 – 13 April 2016) was a New Zealand rugby union player who played for Blues in Super Rugby and represented Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup. Career Representative Rugby Haiu represented New Zealand at Se ...

, who was diagnosed with a bone tumour in April. Following his diagnosis, he took an indefinite break from rugby to focus on his health.

2012 season

2012, the team's fourth season under coach Pat Lam, saw the arrival of former

icons, and

2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board (IRB) selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South ...

winners,

Ma'a Nonu Ma'a Allan Nonu (; born 21 May 1982) is a professional rugby union player from New Zealand who currently plays for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). He plays in the inside centre, but can also cover outside centre and wing. ...

and Piri Weepu. The regular season began on 24 February against the Crusaders at

. Following two successive losses to start the season, the side's first victory came away to the

, with starting debutant Gareth Anscombe scoring all of the Blues points in the 29–23 win. In doing so, Anscombe set a team record for most points in a match. In the same match, Rene Ranger became the first Blues player to receive a White Card, which resulted in a two-week suspension. Seven consecutive losses followed, beginning with the

Stormers The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a trans-hemispheric competition that also ...

in round four, and finishing with the

in round eleven. Growing frustration amongst fans was evident during this period, with racist remarks directed at coach Pat Lam via social media, talkback radio and the Blues own website. Lam, who is of Samoan descent, received support from a number of former Blues players during this period, including Michael Jones and

Eroni Clarke Eroni Clarke (born 31 March 1969) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played for Auckland, the Blues, the Highlanders and the All Blacks at international level. Clarke made 155 appearances for Auckland, making him the fifth (equal w ...

. After beating the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; ad ...

in round twelve, the Blues suffered the biggest defeat in club history with a 59 – 12 loss away to the Crusaders, which was followed by losses at home to the Highlanders and table-topping Chiefs. The Blues finished the season on a high note, with wins against the Western Force and

Brumbies The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005–2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the brumby, feral horses whi ...

. On 17 July, Pat Lam was released. On the same day,

Sir John Kirwan Sir John Kirwan (1650–1721) was an Irish merchant and politician who founded the Kirwans of Castle Hackett, County Galway. Background Kirwan was a member of one of the Tribes of Galway. The family were of Gaelic origin, possibly of Conmhaíc ...

was appointed as head coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In August, the Blues' full coaching staff for the 2013 season was announced, with

Sir Graham Henry Sir Graham William Henry (born 8 June 1946) is a New Zealand rugby union coach, and former head coach of the country's national team, the All Blacks. Nicknamed 'Ted', he led New Zealand to win the 2011 World Cup. Henry played rugby union for ...

taking on a role as technical advisor and defensive coach, Mick Byrne appointed forwards and kicking coach, and Grant Doorey appointed skills and backline coach.

2013 season

The 2013 season saw an all new Blues team with many players leaving, including

to the Highlanders and Gareth Anscombe to the Chiefs. On the morning of 31 October 2012 new coach

announced the 2013 Blues squad which included 14

debutants, and

Ali Williams Alexander James "Ali" Williams (born 30 April 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who played at lock, spending almost all of his playing career in his homeland. At provincial level, he played mainly with Auckland, though he spent one seaso ...

taking over as captain. Handed a bye on the first round the Blues started the regular season on 23 February 2013 with a 34–20 away win against the

, followed by a 34–15 home win against the Crusaders the next week. 3 consecutive losses followed, including the

first victory at

. The Blues regained some form again, winning 4 of the next 5 games. Beating the Highlanders at home and completing the double over the

with a 28–6 win at

before losing a close game against the Reds. The Blues then defeated both the

and the

Rebels Rebels may refer to: * Participants in a rebellion * Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order * Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776 Film and television * ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...

before losing 3 games in a row to the Crusaders,

, and Highlanders respectively. The Blues then travelled to South Africa with two must win games against the

and the Cheetahs, unfortunately losing both and ending the Blues chances of making the play-offs.

played his 100th game for the Blues against the

. The Blues returned to New Zealand with a last home game against the already play-off qualified Chiefs. Despite a red card to

Kane Barrett Kane Sinclair Barrett (born 16 April 1990) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. As former captain, domestically he represented Taranaki in the ITM Cup. Barrett made his Taranaki debut in 2010 and his strong performances saw him named in ...

for stomping in the 23rd minute, the Blues played a remarkably strong game, taking the lead just after half-time but a yellow card to first-five

Baden Kerr Baden Kerr (born 9 June 1989) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays mainly as a fly-half, but is known to also play as a fullback. He previously played for Fijian Drua in Super Rugby. He also played two seasons with the Blues in Super ...

struck another blow for the Blues. The mounting Chiefs pressure paid off resulting in a

Ben Tameifuna Benjamin Vainga Charles Tameifuna (; born 30 August 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Top 14 club Bordeaux Bègles. Born in New Zealand, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry ...

try with 17 minutes to go, winning the game for the Chiefs. The Blues walked off the field to a standing ovation from their fans, the first time an Eden Park crowd had been upstanding for a defeat. The Blues finished the season in 10th place, with 6 players earning

All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, ...

call ups and

Frank Halai Frank Halai (born 6 March 1988) is a Tongan rugby union player who plays as a winger for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Pau in the Top 14. and for Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup, and before that W ...

as the team's top try scorer scoring 10 tries in his debut season. They signed international super star

Benji Marshall Benjamin Quentin Marshall (born 25 February 1985) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played at or . He previously played for the Wests Tigers in two separate spells, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Brisbane Bro ...

for the 2014 season (only to return to league with the

Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

halfway through it) and Ma'a Nonu for two seasons starting in 2014.

2014 season

The Blues 2014 season started with coach

announcing 6 new players to the squad including three

with the return of

and Tony Woodcock after they both played with the Highlanders for a season, and

Jerome Kaino Jerome Kaino (born 6 April 1983) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. In 2004, he was named IRB International Under-21 player of the year. In 2011, he was named the New Zealand Rugby player of the year, finishing ahead of Richie McCaw ...

. This also included former

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

player

who had previously played with the

Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a joint-venture ...

for 10 years. The Blues season started with an away loss to the Highlanders, going down 29–21. The next week they played their first home game of the season at

, defeating the Crusaders 35–24. They travelled to South Africa for two games against the

and the

, losing both games but coming away with a losing bonus point against the Lions. They returned to New Zealand for two home games against the Cheetahs and the Highlanders, both of which they won bringing the up to 6th place on the ladder. The team travelled to

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

to face the

and were defeated 26–9, and were defeated again by the

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

after a bye week. This was followed by two home games against the Waratahs and the Reds, winning both and coming away with a bonus point win against the Reds. They then lost their next two games going down to the Chiefs and the

, picking up a losing bonus point against the Sharks. They returned to Eden park to defeat the Hurricanes, followed by a bonus point win in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

against the Western Force. This put them into 8th place on the ladder with two games to play in the regular season before finals, needing to place in the top 6 for a spot in the play-offs. They lost to the Crusaders in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, therefore to make the finals they needed to win their final game against the Chiefs who were in the same situation. They lost their final game against the Chiefs going down 11–8, putting them out of the finals and ending a six-game winning streak at Eden Park for the season. The Blues finished 10th overall and 5th place in the New Zealand conference. Ihaia West,

Patrick Tuipulotu Patrick Tito Tuipulotu (born 23 January 1993) is a New Zealand rugby union player who is currently a lock for the Blues in Super Rugby and in the Mitre 10 Cup. Tuipulotu is the Blues' current captain and has previously captained Auckland in 20 ...

, and

Tom Donnelly Thomas Mathew Donnelly (born 1 October 1981) was a rugby union player who played for Montpellier in the Top 14. He also made 15 appearances for the All Blacks since 2009 and played for Otago Rugby Football Union. He moved into a coaching caree ...

all made their Blues super rugby debut in the 2014 season.

2015 season

The 2015 season started with coach Sir John Kirwan announcing the Blues squad, with the inclusion of 11 new players after losing 12 players including

and Piri Weepu, who both played over 100 super rugby games. The Blues season started with a loss to the Chiefs, going down 23–18, picking up a losing bonus point. This was followed by an unsuccessful tour of South Africa, going down to the

and Cheetahs, coming away with a single bonus point from a 25–24 loss to the Cheetahs. This was followed by four consecutive losses against the

, Waratahs and Chiefs, 3 of which they picked up a losing bonus point. Their first win of the season came against the

at Eden Park with a 16–14 victory, ending the Blues 9 game losing streak. This was followed by consecutive losses against the Highlanders and Crusaders, picking up a bonus point against the Highlanders. This was followed by a strong 41–24 win against the

Force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a ...

. Their next game against the

was their final away game of the season, they lost 42–22, ending the season with no away wins, having only won two away games in the last three years. Their final four games were all at home with high hopes of finishing the season on a high. They won the first game 23–18 against the South African conference leaders the

, however this was their last win of the season going down in their final three games against the Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders. This ended the franchises worst super rugby season, ending in 14th place ahead of the Force, with just 3 from 16 wins for the season. The end of the season was marked by the resignation of coach Sir John Kirwan, who had been with the team for the last three years winning just 17 out of 58 games. The Blues signed former All Black captain

Tana Umaga Jonathan Ionatana Falefasa Umaga (; ; born 27 May 1973) is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and former captain of the national team, the All Blacks. Since 2016 he has been coach of the Blues in the Super Rugby competition. He playe ...

to replace Sir John Kirwan as head coach of the Blues.

2016 season

The Blues endured yet another disappointing year in 2016, although there were some improvements. A close first round win over the Highlanders by 33-31 was followed by successive losses to the Crusaders (28-13) and Hurricanes (19-23). A 25-25 draw with the Reds in Round 4 was followed by a 24-16 win over the Jaguares in Round 6 (Round 5 being a bye). A week later the Blues lost to the Chiefs by 23-29, but bounced back with wins over the Sharks (23-18), Rebels (36-30) and Kings (34-18). A humbling 5-43 loss to eventual finalists the Lions was followed by a tight 17-13 win over the Force. Another tight game resulted in a 21-26 loss to the Crusaders, while a yet another loss followed against the Hurricanes 27-37. Dominant wins against the Brumbies (40-15) and Waratahs (34-28) showed that the Blues could still be highly competitive, however their last-place conference finish left them outside the qualification pool for the season´s semi-finals, with rival New Zealand franchise the Hurricanes emerging the eventual champions.

2017 season

2017 again saw the Blues finish bottom of the New Zealand conference, with an even 7 wins and 7 losses to their credit. The up and down nature of their season was reflected in the margins of both their biggest win - 56-18 in Round 1 over the Rebels - and their heaviest defeat - 48-21 to the Sunwolves in the final round in Tokyo. During the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour, the Blues pulled off a shock win over the

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...

22–26 at Eden Park. Rookie Blues winger Reiko Ioane distinguished himself during the match, scoring a try and notably outpacing Lions and England winger Elliot Daly. Blues half-back Ihaia West and All Black centre Sonny Bill Williams also impressed during the match, both scoring tries and West adding a penalty and conversion to a remarkable result against the tourists.

2018 Season

2018 would see the Blues again finish last in their conference, with a poor record of only four wins vs 12 losses in a miserable season. Crushing losses to the Hurricanes (42-24) and Crusaders (54-17) in the last two rounds illustrated how far the team´s performances had collapsed from coach Tana Umaga´s first, relatively respectable season in charge, and emphasized the need for structural reform at the club. A reshuffle resulted in Umaga being demoted to an assistant coaching role, and the appointment of former All Black, Crusaders assistant and Tasman Mako head coach Leon MacDonald as new Blues coach the following season.

2019 Season

MacDonald´s first year in charge saw little in the way of definite improvements to the Blues win–loss record, with only 5 wins from 17 games giving them their sixth consecutive last-place finish in the New Zealand conference. All Black prop Karl Tu’inukuafe and former All Black Maá Nonu were recruited from the Chiefs and Toulon, respectively. While their overall standards had improved, their margins of both victory and defeat remaining consistently low, the Blues were unable to mount much of a challenge that season.

2020 Season

2022 Season The Blues participated in the first Super Rugby Pacific season in 2022, and finished first in the 12 team round robin. In round 9 they scored their first win in Christchurch over the Crusaders since 2004, winning 27-24 in a thriller at

Orangetheory Stadium Orangetheory Stadium is a rugby football stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was formerly called AMI Stadium, and before that, the Addington Showgrounds. History The park is part of a complex with Christchurch Arena and Addington Raceway a ...

. In round 15 they beat the Warratahs 20-17, by a

Zarn Sullivan Zarn Sullivan (born 10 July 2000) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or fly-half for the in Super Rugby and for in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. Early career Sulli ...

drop goal after the 80 minute mark. This marked the franchise's 13th straight win, the longest in franchise history. In the Quarter-Finals they played the Highlanders, who they beat 35-6, to reach their first Semi-Final in 11 years. In the Semi-Final they beat the Brumbies 20-19 in a thrilling encounter. Brumbies first-five

Noah Lolesio Noah Lolesio (born 18 December 1999) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Brumbies in Super Rugby, and for the Wallabies (the Australian national team). His playing position is Fly-half. He is also able to play as a centre. He ...

had a match winning drop goal attempt, but this was charged down by Blues prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi, in turn sending the Blues to their first final since 2003, where they were defeated by the Crusaders 21-7 in front of a packed out Eden Park.

Season-by-Season summary

: A season-by-season summary of Blues regular season results and playoff fixtures is shown below:

Results per opposition

Blues Super Rugby results vs different opponent

* Champions (3) 1996 Super 12 season, 1996,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

* Runners-up (2)

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

Super Rugby Trans-Tasman (2021)

* Champions (1)

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

World Club 10s

* Champions (1) 2014

Brisbane Global Tens

* Champions (1) 2018

Rivalries

Overall the Blues have dated rivalries with all other New Zealand-based Super Rugby teams (Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders), however a notable trophy is contested between the Blues and Highlanders. The

Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy is a Rugby Union trophy contested between the Blues and Highlanders as a part of some regular season Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Aust ...

is contested between the Blues and Highlanders as a part of regular season fixtures between the two sides. The trophy is awarded in memory of Gordon Hunter, who had been head coach of both teams prior to his passing away in 2002.

Stadium

The team's primary home ground is

, located in the central Auckland suburb of Kingsland. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000. In addition to hosting Blues home matches, the ground is the home of the

Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Union is a New Zealand provincial rugby union. The union was established in 1883 and was originally responsible for the administration of the sport in most of the former Auckland Province, although its boundaries have since ...

and

Auckland Cricket The Auckland cricket team represent the Auckland region and are one of six New Zealand domestic first class cricket teams. Governed by the Auckland Cricket Association they are the most successful side having won 28 Plunket Shield titles, ten ...

, and is a frequent host of

matches, and hosted the

semi-finals, third-place playoff, and final. In addition to Eden Park, Blues home matches are occasionally held at

North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium is a stadium situated in Albany, in North Shore City, New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, association football, rugby league, and baseball are ...

, home of the

North Harbour Rugby Union The North Harbour Rugby Union (NHRU), commonly known as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is the governing body of rugby union that encompasses a wide geographical area north of Auckland that includes North Shore City, Rodney District, the Hibis ...

, and

Okara Park Okara Park, currently known commercially as Semenoff Stadium (previously known as Toll Stadium due to a sponsorship agreement) is a multi-purpose stadium in Whangarei, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the ...

, home of the

Northland Rugby Union The Northland Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Northland, New Zealand; Northland is a region of New Zealand that covers areas in the districts of Far North, Kaipara, and Whangārei. Established in 1920, they represent the ...

Franchise area and ownership

The Blues represent the

, North Harbour, and Northland rugby unions. Since 2014 the club until 2020 has been owned 60% (divided 65%, 29% and 6%) by the three unions, through Rugby Holdings Ltd., and 40% by private investor Bolton Equities Ltd. The previous Blues (and

) CEO was Michael Redman, who was formerly CEO of the

New Zealand Breakers The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...

basketball team. The current board is made up of six members. Don Mackinnon, also a former New Zealand Netball and High Performance Sport NZ director, took over in 2019 as Blues Chairman from Tony Carter who chaired the board since it became a stand-alone organisation in 2013. The current board includes John Hart, Sam Lotu-liga, Richard Dellabarca, Kate Daly, Grant Graham and Brian Wilsher. Andrew Hore took up the top job as CEO of the Blues in October 2019. Hore beat off serious competition from 70 applicants to become Blues CEO and believes glory days can return to the team's home ground of

. Hore was previously CEO at the Ospreys in Wales before going on to turn around the

and

NSW Rugby The New South Wales Rugby Union, or NSWRU, is the governing body for the sport of rugby union within most of the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is a member and founding union of Rugby Australia. Within Australia it is considered ...

before deciding it was time to return to New Zealand to the Blues' challenge.

Development team

The Blues have fielded a development team in competitions such as the

Pacific Rugby Cup The World Rugby Pacific Challenge, formerly the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup, is an annual rugby union football tournament held in Oceania since 2006. It is contested by national 'A' teams (formed from the best locally based players, with most not alre ...

and in matches against other representative teams for several seasons. Known as the Blues Development XV, the squad is selected from the best emerging rugby talent in the Blues catchment area and is composed of Blues contracted players, wider training group members, under 20s, and selected club players.

Current squad

The squad for the

2023 Super Rugby Pacific season The 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season (known as Harvey Norman Super Rugby Pacific in Australia, Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific in Fiji and DHL Super Rugby Pacific in New Zealand) is the 28th season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition ...

is:

2022 coaching staff

* Head coach:

Leon MacDonald Leon Raymond MacDonald (born 21 December 1977) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer, and now head coach for the Auckland Blues rugby team, who played 56 tests for the national team, the All Blacks. He played as a first five-eighth ...

* Assistant coach: Craig McGrath (Defence coach) * Assistant coach: Tom Coventry (Forwards coach) * Assistant coach: Dan Halangahu (Attack/skills coach) * Assistant coach:

Ben Afeaki Ben Tu'umoe Paul Afeaki (born 12 January 1988) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. His regular playing position was prop. He represented the Chiefs in Super Rugby and North Harbour in the ITM Cup between 2010 and 2014 and also mad ...

(Scrum coach) * Assistant coach: Joe Schmidt (Support coach)

Captains

Zinzan Brooke Zinzan Valentine Brooke (born Murray Zinzan Brooke on 14 February 1965) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at number eight. Brooke played 58 tests for New Zealand, and 42 non-international matches for the All Blacks. He ...

(1996–1997) * Michael Jones (1998) *

Robin Brooke Robin Matthew Brooke (born 10 December 1966 in Warkworth, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand rugby player. He played for the New Zealand national rugby union team in the 1990s, playing many tests alongside brother Zinzan Brooke. Career ...

(1999–2001) * Glenn Taylor (2002) *

Xavier Rush Xavier Joseph Rush (born 13 July 1977, in Auckland) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and played professional rugby in Wales for Cardiff Blues where he is the former captain. Career Rush played domestic ru ...

(2003–2005) * Keven Mealamu (2006, 2009–2012) *

Troy Flavell Troy Vandem Flavell (born 4 November 1976 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Flavell won 22 caps for New Zealand, and mainly played lock. He is known for his power in the scrum. He attended Massey High School al ...

(2007–2008) *

(2013) *

Luke Braid Luke Gary Braid (born 5 October 1988) is a rugby union footballer who plays for the Blues in Super Rugby and Auckland in the ITM Cup. He plays as a loose forward. Braid has also played for three national rugby union teams, the New Zealand Schoo ...

(2014) *

(2015–2016) * James Parsons (2016–2017) *

Augustine Pulu Augustine Pulu (born 4 January 1990) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Japan Rugby League One club Hino Red Dolphins. Born in New Zealand, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestr ...

(2018) *

Blake Gibson Blake Gibson (born 19 April 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for in the ITM Cup and the in Super Rugby. Early career Born in Auckland, Gibson attended Saint Kentigern College in the city and c ...

(2019) *

(2019–2021) *

Dalton Papalii Dalton Reece Papalii ("Pa-pa-lee-e") is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for Counties Manukau in the Mitre 10 Cup and the in the Super Rugby competition. Papalii has played 22 tests for the All Blacks, New Zealand's international tea ...

(2022–present)

Coaches

Notes:

Official

competition matches only, including finals.

Records and achievements

Individual records

Most appearances

Most points

Most tries

Most points in a match

Most tries in a match

Most points in a season

Most tries in a season

Team Records

* Highest Regular Season Placing: 1st (1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2022) * Most Wins in a Season: 15 (2022) * Most Points in a Season: 435 (1997) * Most Tries in a Season: 56 (1996, 1997, 2021) * Fewest Wins in a Season: 3 (2015) * Fewest Points in a Season: 202 (1999) * Fewest Tries in a Season: 15 (1999) * Biggest Win: 60 – 7 (53 point win in 2002 vs. Hurricanes – Wellington) * Biggest Loss: 12 – 59 (37 point loss in 2012 vs. Crusaders - Christchurch) * Most points ever scored in a game: 74 (74 - 28 win in 1998 vs. Stormers - Auckland) * Fewest points ever scored in a game: 3 (3 - 20 loss in 2004 vs. Reds - Brisbane), (3 - 23 loss in 2013 vs. Crusaders - Christchurch)

All time record

* Games played: 290 * Games won: 154 * Games lost: 131 * Games drawn: 5 * Winning percentage: 53.10% * Points for: 7750 * Points against: 6983 * Tries for: 922 * Tries conceded: 767 Record updated as of Round 9 v Brumbies, 2017

Players that have represented the All Blacks

87 officially recognized Blues players have gone on to represent the All Blacks as of the 2017 season. There have been a total of 268 players to have played for the Blues which means that 30% of all Blues over two decades have either represented the All Blacks or have gone on to represent them. *

John Afoa Ioane Fitu "John" Afoa (born 16 September 1983) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. His position of choice is at prop. Afoa currently plays for Crusaders in Super Rugby. Personal life Afoa was a student at Auckland's Papakura Hig ...

(36 tests, 2 matches) * Ben Atiga (1 test) *

Norm Berryman Norman Rangi Berryman (15 April 1973 – 22 June 2015) was a New Zealand rugby union player who played as a winger and centre. Accessed 1 March 2009 He played one Test for the All Blacks, and represented Northland, the Crusaders and the Chief ...

(1 test) *

Andrew Blowers Andrew Francis Blowers (born 27 March 1975) is a rugby union player who played for Auckland Blues, Northampton Saints and Bristol. He played for the New Zealand national rugby union team between 1996 and 1999 in which he had played 11 tests a ...

(11 tests, 7 matches) * Anthony Boric (24 tests, 1 match) *

Daniel Braid Daniel John Braid (born 23 February 1981) is a former rugby union player from New Zealand who captained Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He played at open-side flanker. Previously, he played for the Blues in Super Rugby. He also won six ...

(6 tests) *

(62 tests, 7 matches) *

(58 tests, 42 matches) *

Olo Brown Olo Max Brown (born 24 October 1967 in Apia, Samoa) played 56 tests at prop for the New Zealand All Blacks rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod ...

(56 tests, 13 matches) * Mark Carter (7 tests, 3 matches) *

Adrian Cashmore Adrian Richard Cashmore (born 23 July 1973 in Tokoroa, New Zealand), is a rugby player who played for Auckland and Bay of Plenty provincially, and the Auckland Blues and Chiefs in Super Rugby. He also played professionally in Japan and for Wel ...

(2 tests) * Caleb Clarke (5 tests) *

(10 tests, 14 matches) *

Greg Cooper Gregory John Luke Cooper (born 10 June 1965) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A fullback, Cooper represented Hawke's Bay, Otago and Auckland at a provincial level and the in Super Rugby. He was a member of the New Zealand national ...

(7 tests) *

Jimmy Cowan Quinton James Cowan (born 6 March 1982) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He first played for the All Blacks – New Zealand's national team – during the 2004 tour to the United Kingdom and France, and played his last Test match for ...

(51 tests, 2 matches) *

Ron Cribb Ronald Te Huia Cribb (born 7 July 1976) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, the 1.94 m, 110 kg Cribb is a former All Black, and mainly played number eight. Early life Cribb was born in Whanganui, but was raise ...

(15 tests) *

Chresten Davis Chresten Scott Davis (born 16 September 1975) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, Clark represented Manawatu, the Central Vikings and Waikato at a provincial level, and the , and in Super Rugby. He was a member of t ...

(2 matches) *

Steve Devine Stephen John Devine (born 12 December 1976) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a former All Black and international sevens player for Australia. Devine played for Australia Under-21 before relocating to New Zealand. A loyal servant ...

(10 tests) *

(15 tests) *

Matt Duffie Matthew David Duffie (born 16 August 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby footballer who plays rugby union for the Blues in Super Rugby. He previously played rugby league with the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League and was a p ...

(2 matches) *

Craig Dowd Craig Dowd born 26 October 1969 in Auckland, New Zealand is a former rugby union player and ex-coach. He played 60 test matches for New Zealand between 1993 and 2000, spending his entire provincial career with Auckland. He spent his entire Supe ...

(60 tests, 7 matches) * Marc Ellis (8 tests, 12 matches) *

Tamati Ellison Tamati Edward Ellison (born 1 April 1983) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. Career Domestic Ellison was born in Wellington, and made his debut for the Wellington Lions in the 2003 NPC final defeat against Auckland. He also captained ...

(4 tests, 1 match) * Bryn Evans (2 tests) * Nick Evans (16 tests) *

Charlie Faumuina Charles Faumuina (born 24 December 1986) is a rugby union player who plays prop, for in Top 14 in France and formerly for internationally. He was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup winning team. He currently plays international rugby ...

(50 tests) *

Greg Feek Gregory Edward Feek (born 20 July 1975) is a New Zealand rugby union former player who now works as a rugby coach. He played 10 tests for the All Blacks between 1999 and 2001 as a prop, in addition to 63 appearances with the Crusaders. Feek was ...

(10 tests) *

Malakai Fekitoa Malakai Fonokalafi Fekitoa (born 10 May 1992) is a Tongan rugby union player who plays as a centre. He currently plays for Irish club Munster. He previously played for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition, in the ITM Cup, and for Ne ...

(23 tests) *

Sean Fitzpatrick Sean Brian Thomas Fitzpatrick (born 4 June 1963) is a former rugby union player who represented New Zealand, and is widely regarded as one of the finest players ever to come from that country. Early life and family Fitzpatrick was born in Auc ...

(92 tests, 36 matches) *

(22 tests) *

Richard Fromont Richard Trevor Fromont (born 17 September 1969) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A lock, Fromont represented Auckland and Counties Manukau at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks ...

(10 matches) * Rico Gear (19 tests, 1 match) *

(1 test) *

Alex Hodgman Alexander T O A. Hodgman (born 16 July 1993) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a prop for in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the in the international Super Rugby competition. Career Early career Born and rai ...

(4 tests) *

Shane Howarth Shane Paul Howarth (born 8 July 1968) is a former international rugby union player who gained four caps and scored 54 points for the All Blacks before later switching allegiance to Wales, attaining 19 Welsh caps. An outside-half or full-back, ...

(4 tests, 6 matches) *

Doug Howlett Douglas Charles Howlett (born 21 September 1978) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He was primarily a wing, but he also sometimes played as a fullback. He played for Auckland, and the Highlanders, Hurricanes and Blues ...

(62 tests, 1 match) *

Dillon Hunt Dillon Hunt (born 23 February 1995) is a New Zealand people, New Zealand former rugby union player who played for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition. His position of choice was Rugby union positions, flanker. Career Hunt was called ...

(1 test, 1 match) *

Craig Innes Craig Ross Innes (born 10 September 1969), also known by the nickname of ''"Postie"'', is a New Zealand former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. After a successful rugby union career which saw him repres ...

(17 tests, 13 matches) * Akira Ioane (2 tests, 1 match) * Rieko Ioane (34 tests) * Michael Jones (55 tests, 19 matches) *

(83 tests, 2 matches) *

Tanerau Latimer Tanerau Dylan Latimer (born 6 May 1986) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays for the Bay of Plenty. Career Super Rugby Latimer made his Super Rugby debut for the in 2006, before shifting to the in 2007. In 2009 he started at o ...

(5 tests, 1 match) * Danny Lee (2 tests) * Walter Little (50 tests, 25 matches) *

Jonah Lomu Jonah Tali Lomu (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a New Zealand professional rugby union player. Lomu is considered to have been the first true global superstar of rugby, and consequently had a huge impact on the game. He is widely regarde ...

(63 tests, 10 matches) *

Keith Lowen Keith Ross Lowen (born 14 July 1974) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth, Lowen represented Waikato at a provincial level for most of his career, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, i ...

(1 test) *

Steven Luatua Steve Luatua (born 29 April 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. His regular playing position is either as a lock or a loose forward. He plays for the Bristol Bears in the English Premiership. Luatua was a member of the New Zealand und ...

(15 tests) * Angus Macdonald (2 tests) *

Alby Mathewson Albert Samuel "Alby" Mathewson (born 13 December 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half. Early life and education Mathewson was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He first attended Havelock North High School but switc ...

(4 tests, 1 match) *

Mark Mayerhofler Mark Andrew Mayerhofler (born 8 October 1972) is a former rugby union player who represented the New Zealand All Blacks six times in 1998. In 1997 he won the Tom French Cup, an honour awarded annually by New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to the Mao ...

(6 tests) *

Luke McAlister Charles Luke McAlister (born 28 August 1983 in Waitara) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at fly-half and at centre. He is the brother of New Zealand women's sevens player Kayla McAlister and son of rugby league footballer Ch ...

(30 tests, 1 match) * Keven Mealamu (132 tests, 1 match) *

Kees Meeuws Kees Junior Meeuws (; born 26 July 1974) is a New Zealand former rugby union prop and former assistant coach of the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition, and also a real estate agent by trade and a painter by education. Meeuws played 42 ...

(42 tests, 3 matches) *

Brad Mika Bradley Moni Mika (born 2 June 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player. His position is lock. He was educated at St Peter's College. He made his provincial debut for Auckland in 2000, his Super Rugby debut for Crusaders in 2002, and his inter ...

(3 tests) *

Dylan Mika Dylan Gabriel Mika (17 April 1972 – 20 March 2018) was a New Zealand-born rugby union player who represented the national teams of both Samoa and New Zealand. Born in Auckland, Mika was initially educated at Marcellin College, before movi ...

(7 tests, 1 match) *

George Moala George Moala (born 5 November 1990), is a professional rugby union player currently playing for Clermont Auvergne in the French Top 14, having previously played in New Zealand for both Auckland and the Blues. Early career Moala attended Tamaki ...

(4 tests) *

Mils Muliaina Junior Malili "Mils" Muliaina (born 31 July 1980) is a former professional rugby union player who most recently played for San Francisco Rush in the US PRO Rugby competition. He played primarily as a fullback, though he has also played as a ...

(100 tests, 2 matches) *

Waisake Naholo Waisake Ratunideuba Naholo (born 8 May 1991 Sigatoka, Fiji) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He previously played for the All Blacks Sevens and on the wing (and occasionally centre) position for London Irish. In May 2022 he signed with Rugb ...

(26 tests) *

Craig Newby Craig Alan Newby (born 27 July 1979) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Newby spent the bulk of his career in New Zealand, playing for Otago, the Highlanders, North Harbour and the Blues. He had a short stint with Newcastle Falcon ...

(3 tests) *

(103 tests, 1 match) *

(4 tests) * James Parsons (2 tests) *

Tim Perry Timothy D. Perry (born June 4, 1965) is an American former basketball player. Following his college career with Temple he played professionally for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association and Liga ACB. Playing career Perry played colle ...

(6 tests, 2 matches) *

Charles Piutau Salesi Tu'ipulotu "Charles" Piutau (born 31 October 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national ...

(17 tests) *

(2 tests) * Caleb Ralph (14 tests, 2 matches) * Rene Ranger (6 tests) *

Greg Rawlinson Greg Rawlinson (born 14 August 1978 in Durban, South Africa) is a New Zealand international rugby union player. Rawlinson, who has made four appearances for the All Blacks, was born in South Africa and moved to New Zealand in 2002. The second r ...

(4 tests) *

Charles Riechelmann Charles Riechelmann (RICK-le-man, born 26 April 1972) was a Tongan-born New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Auckland provincially, the Blues in the Super Rugby competition the All Blacks at international level as the first ever Tonga ...

(6 tests, 4 matches) * Mark Robinson (3 tests, 5 matches) *

Joe Rokocoko Josevata Taliga "Joe" Rokocoko (pronounced , born 6 June 1983) is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player, who played as a wing. Born in Fiji, Rokocoko grew up in New Zealand and played for the Blues and Auckland. He later played f ...

(68 tests, 1 match) *

(8 tests) *

Francis Saili Francis Saili (born 16 February 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player, currently playing for French club Biarritz. He plays primarily as a centre, though he can also play wing. He is the younger brother of Blues loose forward Peter Saili. ...

(2 tests) * Carlos Spencer (35 tests, 9 matches) *

Benson Stanley Benson Stanley (born 11 September 1984 in New South Wales, Australia) is a rugby union player for US Montauban in the Pro D2. Stanley is a product of Auckland Grammar. He plays as a centre. Benson is one of the Stanley rugby clan that includes ...

(3 tests) *

Jeremy Stanley Jeremy Crispian Stanley (born 26 March 1975) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He was born in Otahuhu, New Zealand. He played for the All Blacks, Ponsonby and Auckland and the Hurricanes as a centre. Personal life Stanley attend ...

(3 matches) *

Lee Stensness Lee Stensness (born 24 December 1970) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for Manawatu, Auckland, the Blues and the All Blacks. He made his debut for the All Blacks in 1993. Early career Stensness was born in Auckland, bu ...

(8 tests, 6 matches) *

Hoskins Sotutu Hoskins Sotutu (born 12 July 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the in Super Rugby. His playing position is flanker. His excellent form for the Blues in Super Rugby Aotearoa resulted in a call-up to the All Blacks squad ...

(5 tests) *

Angus Ta'avao Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * Angu ...

(14 tests) *

Saimone Taumoepeau Saimone Taumoepeau (born 21 December 1979 in Ha'apai, Tonga) is a professional rugby union player in France. He is the younger brother of Tevita Taumoepeau. Career Born in Tonga, Taumoepeau emigrated to New Zealand in 1997. Taumoepeau was a ...

(3 tests, 1 match) * Glenn Taylor (1 test, 5 matches) *

(36 tests, 1 match) *

Ofisa Tonu'u Ofisa Francis Junior Tonu'u (born 3 February 1970) is a New Zealand former rugby union player and Samoa cricketer. A halfback, Tonu'u represented Wellington and Auckland at a provincial level and the and in Super Rugby. Of Samoan parentage, T ...

(5 tests, 3 matches) * Ofa Tu'ungafasi (39 tests) *

Karl Tu'inukuafe George Zvi Karl Tu'inukuafe (born 21 February 1993) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for the in Super Rugby, and for North Harbour in the Mitre 10 Cup. His position of choice is loosehead prop. He has previously represe ...

(17 tests) *

Mose Tuiali'i Moses Moses Tuiali'i (born 25 March 1981) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A Loose forward, Tuiali'i notably played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby between 2004 and 2008. He also played for the Blues in 2003 and later the Highland ...

(9 tests, 1 match) *

(35 tests) *

Anthony Tuitavake Anthony Tuitavake (born 12 February 1982 in Auckland) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays as a centre or on the wing. Tuitavake, of Tongan descent, is a fast attacking centre. Career He had a great season in 2005 for both the Hi ...

(6 tests, 1 match) *

Sam Tuitupou Sam Tuitupou (born 1 February 1982) is a New Zealand international rugby union player who plays in England. His position is Inside Centre. Tuitupou won world titles as captain for New Zealand at under-19 and under-21 level, during his junior ca ...

(9 tests) * Joeli Vidiri (2 tests) * Piri Weepu (71 tests, 2 matches) *

(77 tests, 1 match) *

Sonny Bill Williams Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in ...

(58 tests) *

Royce Willis Royce Kevin Willis (born 28 August 1975 in Tokoroa) was an international rugby union player who represented New Zealand in 12 matches between 1998 and 2002. Rugby career Willis was educated at Tauranga Boys College where he first began playing ...

(12 tests) *

Derren Witcombe Derren John Charles Witcombe (born 30 October 1978) is an Australian-born New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. As a player, he played at hooker. He played for the All Blacks in 2005 and at Super Rugby level for the Blues between 200 ...

(5 tests) * Tony Woodcock (118 tests) *

Rudi Wulf Rudi Wulf (born 2 February 1984) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for Lyon in the French Top 14. He previously played for Toulon and Castres Olympique. Wulf has also played for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup and the Auck ...

(4 tests)

References

External links

*
SANZAAR website

New Zealand Super Rugby website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blues (Super Rugby Franchise) Super Rugby champions Super Rugby teams New Zealand rugby union teams Sport in Auckland 1996 establishments in New Zealand Rugby clubs established in 1996 Rugby union in the Auckland Region