Todd Blackadder is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and professional rugby coach. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, 14 times playing a total of 25 games and 12 tests. Blackadder captained the Crusaders to three Super Rugby titles during his time with the franchise while also winning two NPC titles with Canterbury. Blackadder coached the Crusaders for 9 seasons, without winning a title.
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in the competition's history and have won a total of 14 titles.
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.
Andrew Philip Mehrtens is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He was regarded as a top first five-eighth, having played first for Canterbury in 1993, before being selected for the All Blacks in 1995 when he played in the 1995 World Cup.
Richard Hugh McCaw is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award.
Aaron Joseph Douglas Mauger is a New Zealand professional rugby union coach and former player. He played at centre for Leicester Tigers.
Daryl Peter Earl Gibson is an international rugby coach and former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby and represented his country with the All Blacks. After success as assistant coach with the Waratahs side when they won the 2014 Super Rugby Championship, Gibson replaced Michael Cheika as head Coach of the team in 2015.
Scott Maurice Robertson is a New Zealand rugby union coach, breakdancer and former player. He is the current head coach of the All Blacks, the men's New Zealand national team.
Robert Maxwell Deans is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, currently the head coach of Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. He was head coach of the Australian national team between 2008 and 2013. Deans previously coached the Crusaders for eight seasons and was an assistant coach of New Zealand between late 2001 and 2003. As the coach of the Crusaders, Deans won three Super 12 titles and two Super 14). He also coached Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship, winning the title in 1997. As a player, Deans represented Canterbury, first playing at fly half, and later fullback. He also played nineteen matches for the All Blacks, including five tests.
Mark Garry 'Hammer' Hammett is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. Having represented Canterbury provincially 76 times, and the Crusaders 81 times and the All Blacks 30 times – including 29 Test matches, Hammett later went on to coach both Canterbury and Crusaders as a forwards/assistant coach. He is currently on the assistant coach of the Highlanders in Super Rugby and the Tasman Makos in the Mitre 10 Cup.
Stephen John Bachop is a New Zealand former rugby union player and current coach. He is the older brother of fellow former All Black, Graeme Bachop.
High School Old Boys is a rugby union football club based in Christchurch, New Zealand. The club was founded in 1901 by former students of Christchurch Boys' High School (CBHS). While many members are former CBHS students, High School Old Boys RFC is an open club accepting both male and female players. The club is affiliated with the Canterbury Rugby Football Union.
Ben John Franks is an Australian-born New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He played as a prop. He is one of only 21 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions.
Samuel Lawrence Whitelock is a former New Zealand rugby union player.
Matthew Brendon Todd is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Crusaders.
Codie Joshua Dane Taylor is a New Zealand professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a hooker for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and is contracted to Canterbury for New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He represents New Zealand internationally.
Daniel Lienert-Brown is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loosehead prop for Canterbury in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Highlanders in the international Super Rugby competition.
Richie Mo'unga is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a first five-eighth for Japan Rugby League One club Toshiba Brave Lupus and the New Zealand national team.
George Crispin Bridge is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as an outside back for Montpellier Hérault Rugby in France's domestic TOP 14. Bridge made his international debut for New Zealand in 2018, aged 23.
Oliver G.J.T. Jager is an Irish rugby union player who currently plays as a prop for Munster. Previously he represented Canterbury in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Crusaders in the international Super Rugby competition. In November 2023, he announced that he was joining Munster Rugby from 1 December 2023. Jager made his international debut for Ireland on 24 February 2024 coming on as a replacement in the Six Nations match against Wales.