The Highlanders is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.
The Blues are 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 the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, the Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003, as well as a Trans Tasman competition in 2021, additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022 and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023.
Douglas Charles Howlett is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He was primarily a wing, but he also sometimes played as a fullback.
Tony Dale Woodcock is a New Zealand former rugby union player. His position was loosehead prop, and he played 111 tests for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Woodcock played for the All Blacks from 2002 to 2015, scoring eight test tries. He was described by The Dominion Post as "widely regarded as the world's premier loosehead", and by The New Zealand Herald as having the "best range of skills of any prop on the planet". He is now the most capped All Black prop of all time, and is the second most capped player in Blues history, behind Keven Mealamu. He was a key member of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning squads, becoming one of only 20 players to have won multiple Rugby World Cups.
Chase Stanley is a New Zealand former international rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or winger for the Toronto Wolfpack in the Betfred Super League.
Rene Mark Nelson Ranger is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for Northland in the Bunnings NPC. Ranger plays the positions of wing and centre.
Paul Williams is a New Zealand-born Samoan international rugby union player who plays for Stade Français in the French Top 14. His regular playing positions are Centre, Wing and fullback. He is a son of former All Black Bryan Williams and the brother of Gavin Williams, who plays internationally for Samoa and for French club Clermont.
Charles Chris Faumuina is a professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Top 14 club Toulouse. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Kyle Stanley is a former Samoa international rugby league footballer who played as a centre for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL between 2010 and 2014.
Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a Fly half for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and for the New Zealand national team.
George Moala is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Top 14 club Clermont. Born in New Zealand, he represents Tonga at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Angus Wilkie Faiumiolemau Taʻavao is a New Zealand-born rugby union player, currently playing as a Prop for the Blues in Super Rugby and Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup. Taʻavao was called into New Zealand's international team, the All Blacks, as injury cover in 2018 and has played 14 tests since his international debut. Taʻavao was a member of New Zealand's squad in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Winston Stanley is an Australian-born Samoan former rugby union footballer who usually played as a centre and occasionally as a wing.
Salesi Tu'ipulotu Piutau, often known as Charles Piutau, is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fullback for Japan Rugby League One club Shizuoka Blue Revs.
Bryn Desmond Hall is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a halfback for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Crusaders in the international Super Rugby competition.
Aniseto Ofa He Moori Tuʻungafasi is New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the All Blacks as a prop. He also plays for the Blues in Super Rugby and Northland in the Bunnings NPC.
Ash Dixon 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 Highlanders in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He has also played for the Hurricanes and Auckland.
Akira Ioane is a New Zealand rugby union player. Ioane plays blindside flanker and number 8 for the Auckland rugby union team in the Mitre 10 Cup, for the Blues in the Super Rugby competition and was selected for the All Blacks in 2017, having previously represented New Zealand internationally in Sevens and the Māori All Blacks.
Namatahi Waa is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a prop for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship competition and Austin Gilgronis in the Major League Rugby (MLR).
Devon Ruahei Demant is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for the New Zealand national women's team, the Black Ferns, against Australia in 2018. A utility back, Demant plays as a first five-eighth, second five-eighth or centre. She was named 2022 World Rugby player of the year.
