The Crusaders are a professional rugby union team based at Rugby Park in St Albans, Christchurch, New Zealand. They are one of the five New Zealand teams in Super Rugby Pacific; New Zealand Rugby part-owns all five.
History
The Crusaders were created and named, along with the four other New Zealand teams, to contest the inaugural Super 12. The team was originally known as the Canterbury Crusaders. In April 2002 it dropped the "Canterbury" prefix to better reflect the region it represents.
After the earthquakes of February 2011, AMI Stadium in Waltham was deemed unsafe for rugby, and the Crusaders played the whole 2011 season on the road. The new AMI Stadium in Addington opened on 24 March 2012.
Honours
By the club's count, the Crusaders won their tenth Super Rugby title in their 25th season of the competition.
Ground
The club's address is Rugby Park, at the corner of Malvern and Rutland Streets, St Albans, Christchurch. Its grounds have included AMI Stadium in Waltham, closed to rugby after the 2011 earthquakes, and the new AMI Stadium in Addington, opened in 2012.
Teams and training
The club has a 2026 squad for its Super Rugby team, and Matatū is a separate team. Its development programme includes an academy, the Crusaders Global Academy, also called the Crusaders International Academy.
Club life
The club uses the saying Mā pango mā whero, ka oti te mahi ("with black with red, we will achieve").