Super Rugby’s most successful sides in history
Super Rugby’s return this Thursday means now is the time to go back through the record books and remember which teams have lifted the trophy more times than any other.
2017 will be the 22nd edition of the tournament, with five first-time winners in the last six years, giving the nine teams yet to a win a championship some hope.
The next few minutes however are devoted to those teams that have reached the summit on either one or multiple occasions, with one side still comfortably clear at the top…
CRUSADERS – Seven titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008)
The most succcessful side in Super Rugby history still lead the way by a comfortable margin, even with it now being eight years since they last took the title.
There have been two final defeats since then, in 2011 to the Reds and 2014 to the Waratahs, but the dominance of those Crusaders sides around the turn of the century and then in the mid-2000s with Dan Carter, like Andrew Mehrtens before him, and Richie McCaw bursting onto the scene is still fondly remembered by those who watched the all-conquering Crusaders coached by Robbie Deans dominate the competition.
Their run of titles from 1998-2000 remains the only time in Super Rugby history that a team has won a hat-trick of trophies. It’s worth remembering that they also finished as runners-up in 2003 and 2004.
BLUES and BULLS – Three titles (1996, 1997, 2003) and (2007, 2009, 2010)
The first-time winners of the competition back in 1996 repeated the trick the following year, with the Blues being coached by future Rugby World Cup winning coach Graham Henry and featuring a team packed full of greats in Jonah Lomu, Carlos Spencer, Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick and Olo Brown, all captained by Zinzan Brooke.
The Blues blew the Sharks away in ’96 and did enough in 1997 to see of the Brumbies. Six years later they were back in the final, bursting at the seems with dangerous All Blacks including Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina, not forgetting Kees Meeuws, Ali Williams, Keven Mealamu and Xavier Rush in the pack, all brought together through Spencer’s wizardry.
For all the flair, it was the Blues’ defence which kept the Crusaders out for a 21-17 win.
As for the Bulls, their stretch of three titles in four years is the best any South African side has ever done in the competition, constructed around a group of forwards made up of Springboks marshalled outstandingly by Fourie du Preez and Derick Hougaard/Morné Steyn, with Bryan Habana at his peak out wide scoring tries for fun.
It was Habana’s 82nd-minute try which clinched that dramatic 2007 final over the Sharks, with the Bulls emphatically returning to the summit in 2009 when they thumped the Chiefs 61-17, before winning another all-South African final thanks to 20 points from Steyn’s trusty boot.
BRUMBIES and CHIEFS – Two titles (2001, 2004) and (2012, 2013)
Only once since their last title in 2004 have the Brumbies had a crack at clinching their third Super Rugby title, losing as it happens to the Chiefs, with both sides tied on two titles despite having reached the final on multiple occasions. In fact the Brumbies have lost in twice as many finals – four – as the number of trophies in their cabinet.
2001’s triumph under current England head coach Eddie Jones however was one-way traffic, hammering the Sharks 36-6 with Joe Roff scoring two tries. Fast forward three years later and the Brumbies came out on top in one of the greatest finals of all time, edging the Crusaders 47-38 thanks to two more tries from Roff and a Mark Gerrard hat-trick.
Dave Rennie’s Chiefs meanwhile were peerless throughout 2012 and 2013, producing phenomenal attacking rugby centred around the artestry of backs such as Tim Nanai-Williams, Sonny Bill Williams, Aaron Cruden and Lelia Masaga, but not forgetting the work-rate of those up front such as Craig Clarke and back-rowers Liam Messam and Tanerau Latimer.
The following year, and despite the best efforts of Christian Leali’ifano for the Brumbies scoring 22 points, the Chiefs pulled off an incredible comeback with tries from Messam and Robbie Robinson turning the tide as a fifth and final penalty from Cruden gave the Chiefs enough breathing room for a 27-22 win.
HURRICANES (2016) HIGHLANDERS (2015) REDS (2011) WARATAHS (2014) – One title
All in possession of one trophy and champions in the last six years, a sign that the eras of Super Rugby dynasties have come to an end. The Hurricanes were the most recent team to join the honours list following last year’s 20-3 win over the Lions in the howling rain, clinched thanks to Beauden Barrett’s late try.
In 2015 it was the Highlanders’ turn, when despite the Hurricanes topping the table their New Zealand rivals won the final 21-14 in Wellington on the back of a huge effort from forwards like Elliot Dixon and Josh Hohneck in particular along with Waisake Naholo’s second-half try, producing an enormous shock in the process.
The Reds’ triumph back in 2011 will always be remembered for Will Genia’s astonishing solo try, when he broke from 60 metres out to score and seal a memorable 18-13 win over the Crusaders at Suncorp.
Will Genia scored this brilliant solo try to give the Reds a win over the Crusaders in the 2011 Super Rugby final https://t.co/g3xiGX6TFw
— Sky Sports Rugby ???? (@SkySportsRugby) February 16, 2017
And keeping nearly the most dramatic final until last, Bernard Foley’s 79th-minute penalty in front of over 61,000 fans at Allianz Stadium in Sydney ultimately snatched a 33-32 win for the Waratahs over the Crusaders, with Adam Ashley-Cooper’s two tries matched by scores from Matt Todd and Nemani Nadolo.