| Union | New Zealand Rugby Union | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 | ||
| Location | Hamilton, New Zealand | ||
| Region | Bay of Plenty Counties Manukau King Country Thames Valley Waikato |
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| Ground(s) |
Waikato Stadium (Capacity: 19,800) Growers Stadium (Capacity: 12,000) |
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| Coach(es) | Dave Rennie | ||
| Captain(s) | Liam Messam | ||
| League(s) | Super Rugby | ||
| 2011 | 10th | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www.chiefs.co.nz | |||
The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs) are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys. The team competes in the Super Rugby competition (known as the Super 12 from 1996 to 2005 and Super 14 from 2006-2010) and is one of the competition's five New Zealand sides.
Until 2004, the Chiefs were the only New Zealand side to never have qualified for the Super 12 semi-finals. In that year the Chiefs earned their first semi-final berth, and in the end achieved 4th place (defeated 37-20 in the semi-final by the ACT Brumbies). They had their best finish in 2009, making the final but finding themselves on the short end of a record 61–17 defeat by the Bulls.
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The Chiefs were founded in 1995 for the inaugural Super 12 season in 1996. Prior to the Super 12, the Super 10 competition had been in place, which NPC teams took part in (including Waikato). In the first year of competition the Chiefs placed 6th in the overall standings, missing out on making the finals; winning 6 of their 11 regular season matches. The following season the Chiefs placed 11th, winning 4 games and losing 7. In 1998 the Chiefs performed closer to the standard of their 1996 season and placed at 7th in the final standings. In 1999 the franchise were able to do one better and claimed 6th position on the ladder but were still yet to make the Super 12 finals.
In 2000 the Chiefs won 3 of their regular season games and finished in 10th place by the end of the season. The following season the team equalled their best position again - finishing 6th. In 2002 the team won 4 games and lost 7 to finish in 8th position, and the season after, 2003, fell to a 10th finish. But the season after the Chiefs won 7 regular season games and came in at 4th on the season table - claiming their first semi-final spot in their history. The Chiefs lost the semi-final against the Brumbies. In 2005 the team finished 6th. In 2006 the Super 12 expanded to the Super 14 with the addition of a new Australian and South African team. The Chiefs won 7 of their 13 games and drew once with 5 losses to come 7th. In 2009 the Chiefs made their second ever semi final, defeating the Hurricanes 14 - 10 to advance to the final for the first time. They lost the 2009 final to the Bulls by the biggest-ever margin 61-17.
The team represents the provincial unions of Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, King Country, Thames Valley and Waikato. Originally the Chiefs also represented North Harbour and Northland, because when the Super 12 was created in 1995, a large contingent of New Zealand players came from Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau.
Had the Auckland Blues been allowed to represent Auckland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Northland, they would have in effect been able to play a team of All Blacks in all but name. In an effort by the NZRU to make things more fair, the Chiefs were given North Harbour and Northland, while the Blues were given Counties Manukau and Thames Valley. By 1999, clear regional All Blacks dominance no longer existed, so the Chiefs arranged a swap with the Blues. North Harbour and Northland were "returned" to the Blues in exchange for Counties Manukau and Thames Valley.
| Super 12 Results | |||||||||||
| Year | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | PF | PA | Diff | BP | Points | Place | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 291 | 269 | +22 | 4 | 28 | 6th | |
| 1997 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 272 | 295 | -23 | 3 | 19 | 11th | |
| 1998 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 279 | 291 | -12 | 5 | 29 | 7th | |
| 1999 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 248 | 301 | -53 | 6 | 26 | 6th | |
| 2000 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 257 | 352 | -95 | 8 | 20 | 10th | |
| 2001 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 301 | 330 | -29 | 4 | 28 | 6th | |
| 2002 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 323 | 341 | -18 | 8 | 24 | 8th | |
| 2003 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 257 | 274 | -17 | 9 | 17 | 10th | |
| 2004 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 274 | 251 | +23 | 5 | 33 | 4th | Lost semi-final to Brumbies |
| 2005 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 272 | 250 | +22 | 6 | 28 | 6th | |
| Super 14 Results | |||||||||||
| Year | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | PF | PA | Diff | BP | Points | Place | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 325 | 298 | +27 | 6 | 36 | 7th | |
| 2007 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 373 | 321 | +52 | 10 | 40 | 6th | |
| 2008 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 348 | 349 | -1 | 6 | 34 | 7th | |
| 2009 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 338 | 236 | +102 | 9 | 45 | 2nd | Lost in the final against Bulls |
| 2010 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 340 | 418 | -78 | 8 | 26 | 11th | |
The squad for the 2012 season:[1]
| Name | Position | Nationality | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Afeaki | Prop | New Zealand | North Harbour |
| Shane Cleaver | Prop | New Zealand | Manawatu |
| Toby Smith | Prop | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Sona Taumalolo | Prop | Tonga | Hawke's Bay |
| Ben Tameifuna | Prop | New Zealand | Hawke's Bay |
| Hikawera Elliot | Hooker | New Zealand | Hawke's bay |
| Mahonri Schwalger | Hooker | Samoa | Taranaki |
| Craig Clarke | Lock | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Brodie Retallick | Lock | New Zealand | Bay of Plenty |
| Romana Graham | Lock | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Michael Fitzgerald | Lock | New Zealand | Manawatu |
| Kane Thompson | Lock | Samoa | Hawke's Bay |
| Sam Cane | Flanker | New Zealand | Bay of Plenty |
| Tanerau Latimer | Flanker | New Zealand | Bay of Plenty |
| Liam Messam(C) | Flanker | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Scott Waldrom | Flanker | New Zealand | Taranaki |
| Fritz Lee | Number8 | Samoa | Counties Manukau |
| Alex Bradley | Number8 | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Brendon Leonard | Halfback | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Tawera Kerr-Barlow | Halfback | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Aaron Cruden | First Five-Eighth | New Zealand | Manawatu |
| Andrew Horrell | First Five-Eighth | New Zealand | Hawke's Bay |
| Sonny Bill Williams | Second Five-Eighth | New Zealand | Canterbury |
| Asaeli Tikoirotuma | Second Five-Eighth | New Zealand | Manawatu |
| Richard Kahui | Centre | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Jackson Willison | Centre | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Lelia Masaga | Wing | New Zealand | Bay of Plenty |
| Declan O'Donnell | Wing | New Zealand | Waikato |
| Nemani Maritino | Wing | Fiji | Hawke's Bay |
| Robbie Robinson | Fullback | New Zealand | Southland |
| Tim Nanai-Williams | Fullback | New Zealand | Counties Manukau |
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