The Highlanders (formerly the

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

Highlanders) 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

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

that compete in

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 ...

. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the

North Otago North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama (which has experienced rapid growth as a developing centre for astronomy and for gli ...

and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that helped found the

, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s. Their main ground through the

2011 Super Rugby season The 2011 Super Rugby season was the first season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition, which involved teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Including its past iterations as Super 12 and Super 14, this was the 16t ...

was

Carisbrook Carisbrook (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Carisbrook Stadium) was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it was also used for other sports such as cricket, football, r ...

, with home games occasionally being played in

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse ...

and Queenstown. The Highlanders moved into Carisbrook's replacement,

Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza The Forsyth Barr Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. At various stages of development it was also known as Dunedin Stadium or Awatea Street Stadium, or its non-commercial official name during the 2011 Rugby World Cup a ...

, for the 2012 season; the stadium opened in time for the

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 ...

, but after the Super Rugby season. They finished the inaugural season eighth, and the following season finished last after winning only three of eleven matches. However, in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons they qualified for semi-finals; hosting the 1999 competition final against fellow South Island team 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 ...

. They lost the match 24–19, and the following year were again knocked out by the Crusaders—this time in their semi-final. In the following fifteen seasons they would only finish in the top four once more, in 2002. But in 2015, they were crowned Super Rugby champions after beating 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 ...

Westpac Stadium Wellington Regional Stadium (known commercially as Sky Stadium through naming rights) is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. The stadium's bowl site size is . The stadium was built in 1999 by Fletcher Construction and is situ ...

. Current Highlander, Aaron Smith has played a record 176 games for the Highlanders, and 47 other players have played over 50 games for the team. The Highlanders' highest career points scorer is

Lima Sopoaga Lima Sopoaga (born 3 February 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays for Lyon in the Top 14 competition. His regular playing positions are Fly-Half and Centre. Early life Sopoaga was born in Wellington, New Zealand. His family co ...

with 866 points, and highest career try scorer is Waisake Naholo with 45 tries. They are currently coached by Clarke Dermody and are captained by Aaron Smith.

History

The Highlanders' franchise was created as one of five New Zealand teams in the Super 12. Originally named the Otago Highlanders, the Highlanders' franchise area encompassed the lower South Island of New Zealand, and was formed from the North Otago, Otago, and Southland provincial rugby unions.McIlraith (2005), pg 322. The 1996 team was captained by John Leslie and coached by Gordon Hunter.McIlraith (2005), pg 323. Their first Super 12 match was against 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 3 March 1996, whom they defeated 57–17.McIlraith (2005), pg 228.McIlraith (2005), pg 40. After three matches the Highlanders were undefeated and leading the competition. However the following week at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa they were defeated 59–29 by Northern Transvaal.McIlraith (2005), pg 41. They only won two more games that season, against at Carisbrook and against the Canterbury Crusaders at Lancaster Park,McIlraith (2005), pg 43. and they finished the season eighth on the table.McIlraith (2005), pg 235. 1997 was the least successful season ever for the Highlanders. They finished last in the competition, and managed only three wins.McIlraith (2005), pg 243. They were now coached by Glenn Ross and captained by Taine Randell. Their eight defeats that season included a 75–43 loss to Natal in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

. The points scored by Natal included 50 points by

Gavin Lawless Gavin Lawless is a former South African rugby union player. Playing as fullback, he set a number of point scoring records, including the most tries and most points in a Super 12 match (4 tries and 50 points, for the Sharks against the Highland ...

– a competition record.McIlraith (2005), pg 50. Following their last place in the 1997 season,

Tony Gilbert Antonio C. "Tony" Gilbert (born October 16, 1979) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assista ...

was appointed as coach. Their first game under his guidance was an upset 26–19 win over the Queensland Reds.McIlraith (2005), pg 77. The Highlanders eventually became the first New Zealand side to defeat all four South African teams in one season. After defeating 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 ...

at Loftus Versfeld they needed the Queensland Reds not to defeat the

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 ...

by a large margin. Queensland were defeated by the Brumbies 23–16 and the Highlanders finished fourth, thus qualifying for the semi-finals.McIlraith (2005), pg 82. In the semi-final, they faced defending champions the

Auckland Blues The Blues (known as the Auckland Blues from 1996 to 2000) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by ...

at Eden Park. The Blues were leading 20–16 at halftime, and were leading 30–26 before a controversial try to

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 ...

pushed the Blues to a 37–26 lead. Joeli Vidiri had illegally taken out Highlander Stanley off the ball.McIlraith (2005), pg 83. The following season in 1999 the Highlanders improved on their 1997 season record by reaching and hosting the tournament final. They opened their season with a 19–13 victory over the Auckland Blues at Carisbrook.McIlraith (2005), pg 253. This was followed by a victory over the Northern Bulls, 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 ...

at Carisbrook, and the

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...

, before their first loss of the season to the Sharks.McIlraith (2005), pg 255. They returned to New Zealand to defeat the

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 ...

and then the Crusaders.McIlraith (2005), pg 256. After defeating the Reds, the Highlanders lost to 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 ...

at Carisbrook. The next week they defeated the Brumbies at the same venue. In their next match, despite leading the

Wellington Hurricanes The Hurricanes ( ; formerly the Wellington Hurricanes) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Wellington that competes in Super Rugby. The Hurricanes were formed to represent the lower North Island, including the East Coast, H ...

14–3 at half time, the Highlanders lost when Hurricanes half back Jason Spice scored in the corner to give the Hurricanes a 21–19 victory.McIlraith (2005), pg 101. Had the Highlanders won they would have finished top of the table and hosted a semi-final at Carisbrook. Instead they then had to travel to South Africa where they defeated the Stormers 33–18.McIlraith (2005), pg 104. The Highlanders travelled back to Dunedin for the 1999 Super 12 Final, which was against South Island rivals the Canterbury Crusaders, and was billed as "the party at Tony Brown's house" after Highlanders

first five-eighth In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...

Tony Brown. The Highlanders scored first, and led 14–9 at half time. However the decisive try was to Crusaders

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

Afato So'oalo, who chipped the ball then out-sprinted

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, ...

winger Jeff Wilson to collect the ball and score.Gifford (2004), pg 175.McIlraith (2005), pg 106. Although the Highlanders scored a try to Isitolo Maka with three minutes remaining, the Crusaders won 24–19. The Highlanders opened their 2000 season with a 50–13 victory over the Queensland Reds at Carisbrook.McIlraith (2005), pg 261. They won their next three matches, against the Sharks, Hurricanes and Cats. However they then lost their following three; against the Crusaders, Brumbies, and Blues.McIlraith (2005), pg 121. They played the Crusaders at Jade Stadium in their semi-final, and were defeated 37–15 after

Marika Vunibaka Marika "Dawainavesi" Vunibaka (born 3 November 1974) is a Fijian former rugby union player. He represented the Fiji national team on numerous occasions, including at the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales and the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. ...

scored two tries for the Crusaders in the last 20 minutes.McIlraith (2005), pg 124. The next season opened with a 23–8 victory over the Blues.McIlraith (2005), pg 269. Their 39–20 defeat of the Waratahs at Carisbrook on 7 April was the first defeat of New South Wales by an Otago-based side since the Otago provincial team defeated New South Wales 5–0 in 1901.McIlraith (2005), pg 144. The Highlanders narrowly lost to the Hurricanes in Napier 35–33 before defeating the Brumbies at Carisbrook on 20 April. Although the Highlanders went undefeated at home for a second consecutive season, they finished fifth with six wins that season. Laurie Mains had returned from South Africa to coach Otago in the 2001

National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to: * National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides * National Provincial Championship (2006–present) The National Provincial Championship, o ...

(NPC), and was appointed the Highlanders coach for 2002.McIlraith (2005), pg 158. Their season started with a narrow 30–28 loss to the Crusaders at Jade Stadium.McIlraith (2005), pg 159. That year the Highlanders also achieved a win over all four South African teams. The Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy was also introduced that season to be contested between the Highlanders and Blues. Gordon Hunter had coached both teams before dying from cancer in 2001.McIlraith (2005), pg 163. The match was played at Eden Park, and the Highlanders were ahead 15–3 at half time, and eventually won 20–13. Their last home match of the season was against the Reds at Carisbrook. The Highlanders' 40–26 win meant that they had gone three seasons undefeated at Carisbrook. The Highlanders finished fourth and played the Crusaders in Christchurch where they lost 34–23, although Jeff Wilson did score a try in his last match for the franchise.McIlraith (2005), pg 285. The 2003 season started with a 29–16 win over the Chiefs in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

.McIlraith (2005), pg 171. They then defeated the Stormers and Bulls before losing to the Cats in Johannesburg. Their second loss occurred when the Crusaders defeated them 17–16 at Carisbrook. The Highlanders had gone three seasons, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and 16 games unbeaten at Carisbrook before that loss.McIlraith (2005), pg 175. The Highlanders then defeated the Blues 22–11 to retain the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy. In April that year it was revealed a rift had developed between coach Laurie Mains and some of the senior players in the squad. Anton Oliver was branded the ringleader by Mains,McIlraith (2005), pg 176. and after their final game of the season Mains resigned and was replaced by his assistant

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 ...

. In contrast to their previous season, in 2004 the Highlanders conceded 44 tries, twelve more than in 2003, but scored nine more tries then in 2003.McIlraith (2005), pg 198. Not only did they have a new head coach, but also thirteen new players in their squad. This all contributed to them finishing the season ninth that season.McIlraith (2005), pg 302. The Highlanders' 2005 season started with a loss to the Blues at Carisbrook.McIlraith (2005), pg 209. Following this the side won six games consecutively, the first time the franchise had ever done so.McIlraith (2005), pg 212. After a draw with the Stormers and a bye, the Highlanders had gone unbeaten for eight weeks. Three weeks from the end of the round robin they were third, but after losing their remaining three matches fell to eighth for the season. After ten years the Super 12 was expanded to include two extra teams; the Western Force from Australia, and the

Cheetahs The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

from South Africa. The expanded competition was renamed the Super 14. The Highlanders continued under Cooper in 2006. After losing their first match of 2006 to the Crusaders, they then won their next three. After only won two of their last six games, they finished the season ranked ninth. The 2007 ended with a similar result to 2006. The Highlanders again finished ninth on the table, and worst of the New Zealand teams. They finished the season with five wins and eight losses from their thirteen matches. While the fortunes of the franchise had been declining for a few years, they would bottom out with a player exodus following the

2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 2 ...

. The squad's entire

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, ...

front row of

Carl Hayman Carl Joseph Hayman (born 14 November 1979) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at tighthead prop. Hayman has previously played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby, Otago in the NPC, and Newcastle Falcons in the English ...

Anton Oliver Anton David Oliver (born 9 September 1975) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Previously, he played as a hooker for Marlborough (one of the predecessors to today's Tasman side) and Otago in the National Provincial Championship and Ai ...

, and

Clarke Dermody Clarke Dermody (born 22 April 1980, in Invercargill) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who has gone on to coach professionally. Dermody was born in Invercargill, New Zealand, and attended Southland Boys' High School. Dermody's great gr ...

left for lucrative contracts in Europe, while star first-five Nick Evans moved north to Auckland to play for the

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

, and hugely talented young lock James Ryan was forced to retire at age 24 due to injury problems. Joining the exodus were several other veteran starters, along with coach Greg Cooper who left the franchise to take up an assistant coaching position with the Blues. The coach for the 2008 season, Glenn Moore, was appointed 28 August 2007. Moore was left with a weak side of young and inexperienced players which would stumble to a franchise-worst record of only 3 wins against 10 losses during the

2008 Super 14 season The 2008 Super 14 season started in February 2008 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 31 May, when the Crusaders won their seventh Super Rugby title with a 20–12 victory over the Waratahs in front of the Crusaders' ...

, and finished as the lowest-placed New Zealand team on the table.

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 ...

, one of the team's few bright spots through this period, was appointed team captain for 2009, but things would improve little over the following two seasons as the team again limped to the worst record of the New Zealand clubs. When Moore was released as coach following the 2010 season, the franchise had compiled a record of only 10 wins against 29 losses in three seasons under his leadership. Former

Jamie Joseph was hired as coach for the

, while

Jamie Mackintosh Jamie Mackintosh (born 20 February 1985) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player currently playing for the Austin Gilgronis in Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for Section Paloise in the French Top 14 competition. He ...

replaced Cowan as team captain. The campaign would prove to be the franchise's most successful in several years, as they raced out to a 3–0 start including a monumental away win over the

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothi ...

. They remained in playoff contention for almost the entire season, sitting 8–4 at one juncture, before slumping under an injury cloud at the end of the year to finish 8th on the table. Highlanders won the

2015 Super Rugby season The 2015 Super Rugby season was the 20th season of Super Rugby and the fifth season featuring an expanded 15-team format. For sponsorship reasons, this competition was known as Asteron Life Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New ...

defeating the Hurricanes 21–14 in Wellington. Phil Gifford called the win the "greatest Super Rugby comeback this century". In 2017, the Highlanders won over the

British & 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 ...

23–22 at Dunedin, during the Lions tour to New Zealand. 2018 was a season of ups and downs for the Highlanders. They started their season 3–0 including a win over the defending champions Crusaders in Dunedin and finished their season in 6th place. Despite this, they would suffer a shock loss to the ''Waratahs'' after leading 23–3 at one point, they lost 30–23 in Sydney. 2019 was another up and down season for the Highlanders. At the end of the overall season the Highlanders had won 6, drawn 3 and lost 7, which somehow put them into 8th for the playoffs. However, they would lose to the Crusaders in that game (38-14) After 7 rounds of the 2020 Super Rugby season, the Highlanders were 11th overall and 5th in the NZ conference. They were bound to play the Jaguares in round 7 but the COVID-19 pandemic suspended play of that game and cancelled the rest of the tournament. However, domestic Super Rugby competitions started up, and the one in New Zealand was Super Rugby Aotearoa. The Highlanders finished 4th in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 winning only 3 games, 2 of which were against the Chiefs (28-27) and (31-33) and one against the Hurricanes (38-21) The 2021 season of Super Rugby Aotearoa saw the Highlanders finish 4th again, with 3 wins. They beat the Chiefs (23-39), Crusaders (12-33) and the Blues (35-29). After the season of Super Rugby Aotearoa finished, the Highlanders will partake in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman (competition between the NZ and Australian teams) in which they won all 5 of their games against Australian opposition, and went to the final against the Blues, which they lost 23–15. 2022 was one of the worst years ever for the Highlanders. The Highlanders were winless until Round 8, when they beat Moana Pasifika 37–17. After two more losses, things began to look up for them, beating the Drua 27–24, the Reds (27-19) and the Force (61-10) which put them in quarter-finals contention, since they had many losing bonus points alongside that. However, they lost their last two games of the regular season, and despite the final round loss to the Rebels (31-30) they only just made it into the quarters thanks to their losing bonus point. They ended up getting heavily beaten by the Blues in the quarter finals 35–6, ending the Highlanders worst season ever, with 4 games won from 14 in the regular season.

Name and colours

The name ''Highlanders'' was chosen after the early Scottish settlers in the lower

. These Scottish settlers were the founders of

—known as the "

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

of the South", and the city where the Highlanders are based. According to the Highlanders official website: " The name and image of the Highlander conjures up visions of fierce independence, pride in one's roots, loyalty, strength, kinship, honesty, and hard work." The colours of the Highlanders formerly encompassed the provincial colours of North Otago, Otago, and Southland; yellow, blue and maroon. Blue is also the predominant colour of the

Flag of Scotland The flag of Scotland ( gd, bratach na h-Alba; sco, Banner o Scotland, also known as St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire) is the national flag of Scotland, which consists of a white saltire defacing a blue field. The Saltire, rather than the ...

, and is used by many sports teams in that country. On 3 June 2011, the Highlanders introduced—controversially—a new predominantly lime green home kit. It was debuted in the Highlanders' final home match of the 2011 Super Rugby season. Despite the resounding negative feedback from fans, this kit was initially confirmed for the 2012 season. On 6 September 2011, however, the club announced a change of heart—they would be returning to their traditional blue strip for home matches, and using the lime green kit for away matches during the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Franchise area

The Highlanders' franchise area consists of the region controlled by the North Otago, Otago and Southland Rugby Unions. Both Otago and Southland compete in the semi-professional

Mitre 10 Cup The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in t ...

(formerly the ITM Cup and Air New Zealand Cup), and North Otago in the amateur

Heartland Championship The Heartland Championship competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the countr ...

Stadiums

Starting with the 2012 season, the Highlanders moved into the

Forsyth Barr Stadium The Forsyth Barr Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. At various stages of development it was also known as Dunedin Stadium or Awatea Street Stadium, or its non-commercial official name during the 2011 Rugby World Cup an ...

, opened in August 2011. It was built to replace their original home of

, which was no longer suitable for international rugby, or as a venue for the

. The Carisbrook Stadium Trust was established in 2006 to manage the planning and construction of a new stadium. The new stadium is not on the current Carisbrook site, but instead near the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate ...

and

Otago Harbour Otago Harbour is the natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour mouth. I ...

. It is a roofed, all weather stadium with a rectangular configuration, and permanent seating capacity of 25,000 that could be expanded to 30,748 if necessary. The Highlanders' original home ground was the 29,000 capacity Carisbrook in Dunedin. Carisbrook is also known as "The Brook", or as "The House of Pain" due to its reputation as a difficult venue to visit. The stadium was also well known for Dunedin's large student population (known as "Scarfies") that occupied the terraces—an uncovered concrete embankment at the eastern end of the ground. The Highlanders usually play at least one regular season match outside of Dunedin, at either

Rugby Park Rugby Park, also known as The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C. Rugby Park has also been used for co ...

or the

Queenstown Events Centre Queenstown Events Centre, John Davies Oval, or Davies Park is a multi-purpose sports complex and stadium located in Queenstown, Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. History Opened in 1997, the venue is located on Queenstown Lakes Dis ...

in Queenstown. Prior to 2007 the regular season match was usually played at Rugby Park, however in 2007 they played a match at the Queenstown Events Centre. The Highlanders have also played pre-season matches at Centennial Park in

Oamaru Oamaru (; mi, Te Oha-a-Maru) is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is south of Timaru and north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the ra ...

and at the Showgrounds in Balclutha. On 28 March 2009, the Highlanders played a home game at FMG Stadium in

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

against the

. This game attracted a crowd of 10,000; one of the Highlanders' biggest of the 2009 season.

Development team

The Highlanders 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 Highlanders Development XV, the squad is selected from the best emerging rugby talent in the Highlanders catchment area and is composed of Highlanders contracted players, wider training group members, under 20s, and selected club players.

Records and achievements

Season standings

: :

Results per opposition

Highlanders Super Rugby results vs different opponent

Team records

The 2014 season set several new records for the team, that had stood since the 1998 and 1999 seasons. They scored their most ever points (425), and most ever tries (42) in a season. Lima Sopoaga set a franchise record for most points in a season with 178, becoming just the third Highlander to score 25 points in a game. The 2000 year saw perhaps their greatest victory ever with their 65–23 win against the Bulls, setting several records; most points in a match, most tries in a match with nine, and largest winning margin of 42. Former first five-eighth Tony Brown holds the record for most career points with 857. His 857 career points included 144 conversions, 183 penalties, and six drop-goals. The most points in a single match is held by former fullback

Ben Blair Ben Austin Blair (born 26 March 1979 in Westport, New Zealand) is a former rugby union footballer. He played four tests for New Zealand. He scored 37 points on his All Blacks debut against Ireland A in 2001 at Ravenhill in Belfast; however, a ...

who scored 28 against the Sharks in 2005. Most career tries is held by former player Jeff Wilson with 35. Wilson and Blair also share the record for most tries in a single match with three along with

Israel Dagg Israel Jamahl Akuhata Dagg (born 6 June 1988) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. He has also played for the New Zealand Sevens team, and represents Hawkes Bay in the ITM Cup. Dagg played in ...

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 ...

Ryan Nicholas Ryan Tamarua Nicholas (born 23 May 1979 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian-born Japanese rugby union player who plays for Suntory Sungoliath of the Top League in Japan. In July 2011, he received Japanese citizenship. ...

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 ...

, and To'o Vaega.

Honours

*Champions (1)

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

* Runners-up (1)

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

* Playoff Appearances (7)

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 ...

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

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:

Notable players

Most Games: *176 Aaron Smith *152 Ben Smith *138

Liam Coltman Liam James Coltman (born 25 January 1990) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a hooker for in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship (NPC) and the in the international Super Rugby competition. Coltman has also ...

*127

*108

*107 Chris King *102

Elliot Dixon Elliot Christopher Dixon (born 4 September 1989) is a professional rugby union player. He represents the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition and Southland in the ITM Cup, playing at number 8. Dixon is best known for his three test appe ...

*101

Daniel Lienert-Brown Daniel Lienert-Brown (born 9 February 1993) is a New Zealand people, New Zealand Rugby Union, rugby union player who currently plays as a Prop (rugby union), loosehead prop for in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the in the internation ...

*100

Ash Dixon Ash Dixon (born 1 September 1988) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for Green Rockets Tokatsu in the Japan Rugby League One. He formerly played for the in Super Rugby and for in New Zealand's domestic Nati ...

*98

Carl Hoeft Carl Henry Hoeft (born 13 November 1974, in Auckland) is a former rugby union footballer from New Zealand, currently working as coach. His usual position was at loosehead prop. He was a part of the New Zealand national rugby union team squad at b ...

*91 Tony Brown *89

*81

Coaches and management

In their first season the Highlanders were coached by Gordon Hunter before he joined the

selection panel.McIlraith (2005), pg 111. Glenn Ross took over in 1997, and was not reappointed for the 1998 season.McIlraith (2005), pg 61. Tony Gilbert was appointed for the 1998 season, and again coached the team in 1999 before being appointed co-coach for the All Blacks.

Peter Sloane Peter Henry Sloane (born 10 September 1948) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. A hooker, Sloane represented North Auckland from 1972 to 1983, and made 15 appearances for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, includin ...

was appointed Gilbert's successor for the 2000 season, and also coached them in 2001 before moving to coach the Blues.

Laurie Mains Laurence William Mains (born 16 February 1946) is a former rugby union footballer and coach who represented New Zealand. Mains' representative career started when he first played for Otago in 1967. He made his All Blacks début in 1971, agains ...

returned to New Zealand from South Africa to replace Sloane for the 2002 season. Mains resigned following the 2003 season after a rift between him and senior players.

replaced Mains and coached the team from 2003 until 2007, when he left the franchise to take up the assistant coaches position with the Blues. Glenn Moore coached the club from 2008 through until 2010, when he was relieved of his duties after the club posted only 10 wins against 29 losses in his three years in charge. His replacement was former All Black flanker Jamie Joseph, who coached between 2011 and 2016. Tony Brown took over as head coach in 2017 he then left to join Joseph in Japan and was replaced by

Aaron Mauger Aaron Joseph Douglas Mauger (last name pronounced "Major"; born 29 November 1980) is a New Zealand professional rugby union coach and former player. He played at centre for Leicester Tigers. Playing career Born in Christchurch, Mauger played f ...

who coached between 2018 and 2020. Tony Brown again took over as head coach and has been with the team since the 2021 season. Notes:

Official

competition matches only, including finals.

Head coach *

Assistant coaches *

Shane Christie Shane Christie (born 23 September 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player. Early career Born in the city of Palmerston North on New Zealand's North Island, Christie was raised in the town of Nelson, on the northern tip of South Island before ...

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 ...

(forwards) * Richard Whiffin (attack) * Dave Dillon (defence) *

Riki Flutey Riki John Flutey (born 10 February 1980) is a retired rugby union player who played internationally for (winning 14 caps) and the British & Irish Lions (1 cap). Born in Wairarapa, New Zealand, he represented New Zealand in the U19 age group be ...

(skills)

Bibliography

* * *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Highlanders (Rugby) Super Rugby teams New Zealand rugby union teams Super Rugby champions