Super Rugby Pacific: Crusaders beat Waratahs to open One NZ Stadium, Christchurch in style

Friday, 24 April 2026

At One NZ Stadium, Christchurch: Crusaders 35 (Dallas McLeod 12’, 56’, Codie Taylor 40’, Leicester Fainga’anuku 50’, Macca Springer 68’ tries; Taha Kemara 4 con, Rivez Reihana con) Waratahs 20 (Sid Harvey 35’, Teddy Wilson 65’ tries; Harvey 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 14-13.

Crusaders captain David Havili was “genuinely lost for words’’ as he led the team out onto One New Zealand Stadium for the first time and coach Rob Penney found it emotional “seeing the glowing light in the distance’’ ahead of their historic win over the Waratahs.

The Crusaders opened the $683m arena with a 35-20 victory to kickstart Super Round on a festive Friday night where the venue was as much the winner as the rugby.

All Blacks’ “hybrid’’ Leicester Fainga’anuku seized centre-stage with a decisive try in his bold new role as the Crusaders marked the birth of Te Kaha with the obligatory victory the occasion demanded.

Even Waratahs captain Matt Philip said it “felt like a test match’’ and his coach Dan McKellar hailed the “real festival feel’’ and buzz in Christchurch, ”the heartbeat of rugby“.

But the biggest lumps in the throat belonged to the Crusaders.

The emotional rollercoaster began when the squad watched a video in the afternoon. There was “a bit of welling up”, Penney revealed,’ at the strains of Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire, the Crusaders’ perennial signature tune.

The occasion struck home for Havili as the team bus wound its way to Te Kaha. “To the see the people of the city vibe-ing, and then coming into the stadium was just amazing.

“It was actually quite emotional. Walking out and then running out was pretty special.”

Penney said the bus trip “felt like we were going to Lancaster Park because it was the same journey that we would take a long time ago.

“It was just wounderful to see the glowning light in the distance as we approached, knowing we were coming a lovely venue.”

As for the game, Havili admitted it was “scratchy’’ but they got the five points they craved.

All Blacks’ “hybrid’’ Leicester Fainga’anuku seized centre-stage with a decisive try in his bold new role.

Fainga’anuku - a midfielder starting in the back row for the first time - smashed over in the second half and ring-in wing Dallas McLeod claimed a double.

Penney had plenty of “superlatives’’ for his project player, who went the distance in the engine room, saying he ”did everything we asked of him, and more. He’s such a competitive man. We knew he had the skill set to do the job, he just needed the opportunity.“

Sure, the Crusaders snapped a two-game losing streak to reinvigorate their playoffs push. Their set-piece - boosted by Codie Taylor and Fletcher Newell’s returns - was superb. But the passing wasn’t always crisp and the defence was dusty at times.

But the true MVP award frontrunner was the stadium itself.

Te Kaha had a blinder before 25,237 first night fans.

With a red-and-black backdrop in the towering stands, with Christchurch rapper Scribe, clad in a Crusader hoodie, belting out his best tunes at halftime, this was an authentic Canterbury celebration for a new epoch in Ōtautahi sport.

New Zealand’s second city now has a stadium reminiscent of an intimate European football ground with the front rows of fans close enough to the pitch to snare a 50:22 punt on the full.

The mood was merry as fans flocked to their seats in the steeply-contoured bleachers.

The lights dimmed as former Crusader and All Black Joe Moody carried a commemorative pounamu to the centre-line.

Crusaders alumni and staff flanked the tunnel as David Havili led the 15-time Super Rugby champions out for the first time.

Taha Kemara sparked a rousing haka. Waratahs Pete Samu and Ioane Moananu, both former Crusaders, joined in - a response Havili later said was “pretty special’’ and showed how much the Crusaders and the city meant to the pair.

Then it was game on. Fifteen years of freezing at Apollo Projects Stadium, waiting for a venue worthy of a champion team, was over.

The game eventually went to script, but the Crusaders’ flubbed their first lines after opening night stage fright.

Waratahs wing Sid Harvey kicked the first points at Te Kaha. He hammered over another after the Crusaders’ ruck fringe defence had been exposed.

There was din under the tin when Crusaders winger Dallas McLeod crossed for the first try on Te Kaha turf.

But the game was flat until a 30th minute scrap lit a fire and saw a yellow card to ‘Tahs lock Miles Amatosero.

The torpor continued with a McLeod double ruled out for obstruction, and then Waratahs nailed the best try of the game after two kick-passes and some offloads for Harvey to score and convert.

Codie Taylor replied with a lineout maul try and Kemara goalled for a 14-13 halftime lead.

The halftime snogging to the Kiss Cam was more entertaining for some than the first half footy fare.

It wasn’t a happy homecoming for Moananu, yellow-carded soon after taking the field in the second half for illegally halting a Crusaders’ dab for the line.

Fainga’anuku’s try followed, then came a cracker to McLeod after Dom Gardiner’s big bust.

Moananu returned from the cooler, but the naughty chair was still warm when Havili was binned for a high shot.

Waratahs sub Teddy Wilson got a gift try after George Bell and Johnny McNicholl missed tackles.

But the Crusaders struck back with their best try to Macca Springer and the head-geared Havili had another disallowed for obstruction by Johnny Lee.

There will be better, brighter nights at Te Kaha, but a win’s a win for all that. Anticlimax avoided.