Having formed in 1996, the Auckland Blues were met with immediate success in Super Rugby, winning two consecutive titles in its first two years of Super 12 competition. The Blues won their third Super Rugby crown in 2003, defeating the ACT Brumbies in the final. Since the introduction of the Super 14 however, the Blues’ performances have been patchy, making only one finals appearance since the new format began in 2006, before tackling the Super Rugby competition in 2011. A reinvigorated Blues outfit finished second in the New Zealand conference in 2011, on the back of some dominant performances from an experienced forward pack that contained All Blacks stars Kevin Mealamu, Tony Woodcock and Luke McAlister.
Super-Rugby Articles
Harris and Lucas in Reds No.10 audition
by Jim Morton - February 9th 2012 @ 4:04am
David Pocock: a skipper my Force teammates will fight for
by Matt Hodgson - February 8th 2012 @ 8:10am
It is the Western Force’s first ever change of guard, with the announcement that David Pocock will replace Nathan Sharpe as captain for 2012. Many would be surprised, with inaugural captain Sharpe still one of the top second rowers in Australia, and with a year left at the Force. The question has to be asked, [...]
Hoiles eyeing return in 2012
by Andrew Logan - February 7th 2012 @ 9:39am
I met Stephen Hoiles in May 2011, when I was invited to spend a weekend with the Brumbies courtesy of one of their corporate partners Deloitte, who work with the Brumbies on innovation and business management. I had watched him for much longer than that, particularly during the awful season of 2009, when Hoiles, as [...]
Rebels won’t panic despite trial thrashing
by Guy Hand - February 7th 2012 @ 3:58am
Slipper hungry for more Reds success
by Jim Morton - February 7th 2012 @ 3:56am
Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide?
by nickoldschool - February 7th 2012 @ 3:38am
Dwindling crowd attendances are never a good omen in any sport or competition. The bad news is that it’s what we are facing in Super Rugby, particularly in Australia and New Zealand. From averaging 25,000 in 2004-05, we are now down to 19-20,000 in Australia alone. A “bad year’ can always happen, but when for [...]
Rebels want more from second rugby trial
by Melissa Woods - February 6th 2012 @ 7:33am
Clinical Chiefs cost rusty Rebels in Corio
by Stuart Fazakerley - February 6th 2012 @ 6:26am
There are several things one should expect to encounter in trial matches before the season proper. Some things will change, some remain, and the legitimacy and relevance of the result will always be questioned. So too it was in Geelong last night, where the Melbourne Rebels welcomed both their home province and the Waikato Chiefs [...]
Brumbies easily account for Force in trial
by AAP - February 5th 2012 @ 4:05am
Goose’s Super Rugby up-and-comer XV for 2012
by The Crowd - February 5th 2012 @ 3:57am
Do you smell that? Freshly painted field lines, Dencorub burning flesh, and what can only be described as the scent of fear wafting from our southern hemisphere neighbours. It’s Super Rugby season. This is my favourite time of year. The formalisation of squads, the trial matches held in towns and cities that don’t have the [...]
THE ROAR ON