Regional rugby

The Canterbury Rugby Union was established in 1879 and stands alongside Wellington as the oldest rugby union in the country. Canterbury has always been one of the powerhouses of New Zealand rugby. The ‘Cantabs’ rank second only to Auckland in number of Ranfurly Shield victories and national provincial championships won. Expecting success, Cantabrians have strongly supported their team over the years. Detractors accuse them of being ‘one-eyed’, but the parochialism of Canterbury supporters has given the province a special place in New Zealand rugby. Canterbury currently plays in the professional ITM Cup, which in 2015 it had won for seven of the previous eight years. As the base for the Crusaders Super rugby franchise, Canterbury has made a major contribution to a team that has won more Super rugby titles than any other.

Christchurch’s iconic Lancaster Park (later known as AMI Stadium) was the home of Canterbury rugby almost from the beginning. This venue hosted many famous matches involving the red and black of Canterbury and the all black of New Zealand. Following the February 2011 earthquakes, Rugby League Park in Addington was redeveloped as a rugby venue and rebranded as AMI Stadium.

Birth of a union