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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 and 2024. Additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022, and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023. They won a Trans Tasman competition in 2021.
Japan Rugby League One, formerly known as the Top League, is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship. The chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level which would allow Japan to compete more convincingly at Rugby World Cups.
The North Harbour Rugby Union (NHRU), commonly known as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is the governing body of rugby union that encompasses a wide geographical area north of Auckland that includes North Shore City, Rodney District, the Hibiscus Coast and part of Waitakere City. There are 12 rugby clubs from Mahurangi RFC, based in Warkworth, Rodney District, in the north through to Massey the southernmost area of the union.
Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of verde and blitz. The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation and is not to be confused with the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. It shares Toyota Stadium in the city of Toyota, Aichi with the football club Nagoya Grampus which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors.
Massey High School is a co-educational state secondary school in West Auckland, New Zealand established in 1969. The school is located on the western edge of the city, thus obtaining students from both suburban and rural backgrounds. In 2017 it was rated decile 4.
Ronald Te Huia Cribb is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, the 1.94 m, 110 kg Cribb is a former All Black, and mainly played number eight.
Rico Levi Gear is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He was a specialist right wing but also covered midfield positions.
Christopher Bradley Smylie is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the scrum-half position for Taranaki in the ITM Cup. He was born in Greater Auckland and attended Massey High School. In 2002 he made his professional debut for North Harbour against Auckland in the National Provincial Championship. Smylie then went south and had one season for the Highlanders in 2006, off the back of a hugely impressive debut season for Otago in 2005. The following year he played for the New Zealand Māori and in 2007 saw him play for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, before debuting in 2009 for North Harbour in the Air New Zealand Cup.
Katsuyuki Kiyomiya is a Japanese rugby union coach, formerly of Waseda University RFC (2001–06) and since 2006 of Suntory Sungoliath. Many in Japan had hoped he would someday coach the national side; however, after he criticized national team coach Eddie Jones in August 2015, support has dramatically dropped. He is the father of baseball player Kotaro Kiyomiya.
Pita Faiva-ki-moana Alatini is a former professional rugby union footballer who played as a midfield back. Although he was born in Tonga, he played in 17 tests for New Zealand between 1999 and 2001, scoring six test tries.
Stephen Brett is a New Zealand rugby union former player. He is the head coach for Los Angeles Rugby Team in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Angus James Macdonald is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer. Macdonald has played for Auckland, the Blues, Toyota Verblitz, Coca-Cola Redsparks, Glasgow Warriors, New Zealand Maori and the All Blacks in a career that began in 2001. Angus Macdonald is known for his versatility, as he has played in various positions in the forwards including Lock, Flanker and Number 8. It was this ability to play multiple positions capably that led to his selection in the 2005 Northern Hemisphere tour, he joined Chris Masoe, Neemia Tialata Isaia Toeava as All Black coach Graham Henry looked to strengthen depth by breaking in players that could take up many positions. Macdonald was part of the champion Blues Super 14 campaign in 2003 and has captained his province; at the young age of 24.
Jerome Kaino is a former New Zealand rugby union player.
The Massey Rugby Club is a New Zealand rugby union club located in Massey, West Auckland. They are part of the North Harbour Rugby Union and compete in their competitions.
Filogia Ian "Filo" Tiatia is a New Zealand international rugby union footballer, best known as a back-row forward and occasional lock for Welsh region the Ospreys.
Rene Mark Nelson Ranger is a New Zealand rugby union player. Ranger plays the positions of wing and centre.
Aaron Luke Smith is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. A scrum half, Smith played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby where upon retirement in 2023 was the club's all time leader in caps, and for Manawatu in the ITM Cup. He has won 124 caps for New Zealand and is their 2nd most-capped back after Beauden Barrett.
Romi Ropati is a retired rugby union player best known for his time with the Highlanders Super Rugby franchise. Although born in New Zealand, he represented Samoa internationally and was a member of the Samoan squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is the Coach of Tahiti's Men's National Rugby Union Team.
Gerard Cowley-Tuioti is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan Rugby League One. He formerly played for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup and the Blues in the international Super Rugby competition.
Tiaan Falcon is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fly-half or fullback for Toyota Verblitz in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He formerly played for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
References
- ↑ "Sayonara Troy Flavell". Stuff. New Zealand. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ↑ "Match Fit Season 1 Ep 1 | DOCUMENTARY/FACTUAL | ThreeNow". www.threenow.co.nz. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
