Super Rugby is the leading professional club (franchise) rugby union competition in the southern hemisphere, and its list of winners is dominated by New Zealand teams. Since the first season in 1996, the tournament has run through several names and formats — Super 12, Super 14, Super Rugby and, from 2022, Super Rugby Pacific — but the goal has stayed the same: win a knockout final and lift the trophy. This guide gives the complete, verified list of Super Rugby champions by year, counts the titles won by each franchise, and explains how the competition has changed. All results are current to the 2025 season.
Key Facts
- Competition: Super Rugby (formerly Super 12, Super 14; now Super Rugby Pacific)
- First season: 1996
- Governing body: SANZAAR
- Founding nations: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa
- Current format (2022– ): 11–12 teams from New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific
- Most titles: Crusaders — 13
- Reigning champions (2025): Crusaders (beat Chiefs 16–12)
What is Super Rugby?
Super Rugby is a cross-border club competition run by SANZAAR, the joint body formed by the national rugby unions of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa (Argentina later joined the group). It began in 1996 as the Super 12, launched shortly after rugby union turned professional following the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The three founding nations wanted a regular, commercially viable club competition to keep their best players in the southern hemisphere and to prepare them for test rugby such as the Rugby Championship.
Rather than fielding existing provincial clubs, each country created regional franchises. In New Zealand these five franchises — the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders — sit above the domestic provincial game and act as the main pathway between the National Provincial Championship (NPC) and the All Blacks.
How the competition has changed since 1996
The format has expanded and contracted repeatedly, which is why the winners list spans several tournament names. Each era changed the number of teams and the countries involved, but every season has still been decided by a knockout final.
| Era | Structure | Notable change |
|---|---|---|
| Super 12 (1996–2005) | 12 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in a single round-robin. | Established the competition and its running, high-tempo style of play. |
| Super 14 (2006–2010) | 14 teams after the Western Force (Australia) and Cheetahs (South Africa) joined. | Two extra franchises added to the round-robin. |
| Super Rugby (2011–2020) | Grew to 15, then 18 teams using a conference system; briefly added sides from Argentina and Japan. | Peak expansion, followed by a cut back to 15 teams in 2018. |
| Super Rugby Pacific (2022–) | 11–12 teams from New Zealand and Australia plus two Pacific sides. | South African franchises left; Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua joined. |
Complete Super Rugby winners list by year (1996–2025)
The table below lists every Super Rugby final: the champion, the runner-up, the score and the venue. There was no unified champion in 2020 or 2021, when the season was split into separate domestic tournaments because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Blues (NZ) | Sharks (RSA) | 45–21 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 1997 | Blues (NZ) | Brumbies (AUS) | 23–7 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 1998 | Crusaders (NZ) | Blues (NZ) | 20–13 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 1999 | Crusaders (NZ) | Highlanders (NZ) | 24–19 | Carisbrook, Dunedin |
| 2000 | Crusaders (NZ) | Brumbies (AUS) | 20–19 | Bruce Stadium, Canberra |
| 2001 | Brumbies (AUS) | Sharks (RSA) | 36–6 | Bruce Stadium, Canberra |
| 2002 | Crusaders (NZ) | Brumbies (AUS) | 31–13 | Jade Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2003 | Blues (NZ) | Crusaders (NZ) | 21–17 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2004 | Brumbies (AUS) | Crusaders (NZ) | 47–38 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| 2005 | Crusaders (NZ) | Waratahs (AUS) | 35–25 | Jade Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2006 | Crusaders (NZ) | Hurricanes (NZ) | 19–12 | Jade Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2007 | Bulls (RSA) | Sharks (RSA) | 20–19 | Kings Park, Durban |
| 2008 | Crusaders (NZ) | Waratahs (AUS) | 20–12 | AMI Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2009 | Bulls (RSA) | Chiefs (NZ) | 61–17 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 2010 | Bulls (RSA) | Stormers (RSA) | 25–17 | Orlando Stadium, Soweto |
| 2011 | Reds (AUS) | Crusaders (NZ) | 18–13 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 2012 | Chiefs (NZ) | Sharks (RSA) | 37–6 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| 2013 | Chiefs (NZ) | Brumbies (AUS) | 27–22 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| 2014 | Waratahs (AUS) | Crusaders (NZ) | 33–32 | ANZ Stadium, Sydney |
| 2015 | Highlanders (NZ) | Hurricanes (NZ) | 21–14 | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| 2016 | Hurricanes (NZ) | Lions (RSA) | 20–3 | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| 2017 | Crusaders (NZ) | Lions (RSA) | 25–17 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 2018 | Crusaders (NZ) | Lions (RSA) | 37–18 | AMI Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2019 | Crusaders (NZ) | Jaguares (ARG) | 19–3 | Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch |
| 2020 | No unified final — season split by COVID-19; Crusaders won Super Rugby Aotearoa (NZ). | |||
| 2021 | No unified final — Crusaders won Super Rugby Aotearoa; Blues won Super Rugby Trans-Tasman. | |||
| 2022 | Crusaders (NZ) | Blues (NZ) | 21–7 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2023 | Crusaders (NZ) | Chiefs (NZ) | 25–20 | FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton |
| 2024 | Blues (NZ) | Chiefs (NZ) | 41–10 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2025 | Crusaders (NZ) | Chiefs (NZ) | 16–12 | Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch |
Super Rugby titles by franchise
Counting only the main competition (the Super 12, Super 14, Super Rugby and Super Rugby Pacific finals), New Zealand franchises have won the great majority of titles. The Crusaders lead every other team by a wide margin.
Title Tally
| Franchise | Union | Titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crusaders | New Zealand | 13 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| Blues | New Zealand | 4 | 1996, 1997, 2003, 2024 |
| Bulls | South Africa | 3 | 2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Brumbies | Australia | 2 | 2001, 2004 |
| Chiefs | New Zealand | 2 | 2012, 2013 |
| Reds | Australia | 1 | 2011 |
| Waratahs | Australia | 1 | 2014 |
| Highlanders | New Zealand | 1 | 2015 |
| Hurricanes | New Zealand | 1 | 2016 |
The separate 2020 and 2021 domestic tournaments — Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman — are usually recorded outside this main tally. In those years the Crusaders won the New Zealand-only Aotearoa competition, while the Blues won the 2021 Trans-Tasman title (beating the Highlanders 23–15). Counting only the main competition, the Crusaders hold 13 titles and the Blues four.
Why New Zealand franchises dominate the winners list
New Zealand teams have won more than half of all Super Rugby titles. New Zealand Rugby uses a centralised model that spreads its national players across the five franchises and manages their workloads, which keeps the domestic derbies close and competitive. That system feeds directly into the national side, so the franchises double as a testing ground for future All Blacks. The result is a deep, even talent pool rather than one or two teams buying up the best players.
The Crusaders: the most successful franchise
The Canterbury-based Crusaders are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with 13 titles. Their record is striking given that they finished last in the inaugural 1996 season. Under coaches Wayne Smith and then Robbie Deans, the franchise built a team-first culture and won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000, including a chip-and-chase try by winger James Kerr to seal the 1998 final against the Blues at Eden Park. In 2002 they went through the entire season unbeaten.
The Scott Robertson era
The Crusaders’ most recent run of success came under Scott Robertson, who coached the franchise from 2017. His teams won every title on offer during his tenure, including seven straight championship-level titles across the main competition and the 2020–2021 domestic tournaments. In 2017 the Crusaders beat the Lions 25–17 at Ellis Park to become the first New Zealand team to win a Super Rugby final in South Africa. Robertson left to coach the All Blacks after 2023; the Crusaders then won again in 2025 under Rob Penney, beating the Chiefs 16–12 in Christchurch.
New Zealand’s other champions
Four other New Zealand franchises have won Super Rugby titles. The Blues took the first two titles in 1996 and 1997 with a squad featuring Jonah Lomu, Carlos Spencer, Michael Jones and Sean Fitzpatrick, coached by Sir Graham Henry — later an All Blacks coach listed among New Zealand’s national coaches. After a long drought, the Blues won again in 2024, beating the Chiefs 41–10 at Eden Park.
- Chiefs (2012, 2013): Back-to-back titles under coach Dave Rennie, built on a fast, transition-based attack.
- Highlanders (2015): A maiden title under Jamie Joseph, defeating the Hurricanes 21–14 in Wellington.
- Hurricanes (2016): Their only title, a 20–3 win over the Lions with Beauden Barrett at fly-half.
Australian and South African champions
Not every title has gone to New Zealand. Australia’s Brumbies were the strongest non-Kiwi side of the early era, winning in 2001 and 2004 behind the halfback pairing of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham. The Reds (2011) and Waratahs (2014) each won one title. South Africa’s Bulls won three titles in four years (2007, 2009 and 2010) with a powerful, set-piece game. South African franchises left Super Rugby after 2020 to join the northern hemisphere United Rugby Championship, which is why no South African team has featured in a final since.
The trans-Tasman rivalry
Matches between New Zealand and Australian franchises are the competition’s core rivalry, echoing the All Blacks–Wallabies contests for the Bledisloe Cup. New Zealand teams have generally held the upper hand, but Australian sides have produced memorable upsets, most notably the Waratahs’ 33–32 win over the Crusaders in the 2014 final in Sydney. The two countries contrast in style: New Zealand teams tend to favour fast ball recycling and counter-attack, while Australian sides have leaned on structured, multi-phase strike plays.
Super Rugby Pacific and the Pacific Island franchises
From 2022 the competition rebranded as Super Rugby Pacific, centred on New Zealand and Australia and adding two new Pacific Island teams: Moana Pasifika, representing Samoan, Tongan and wider Pacific heritage, and the Fijian Drua, based in Fiji. Their inclusion created a full-time professional pathway for Pacific players and added an attacking, offloading style to the competition. The Fijian Drua in particular built a strong home record, playing matches in Lautoka and Suva in front of large local crowds.
Common misconceptions about Super Rugby winners
Because the competition has changed names and formats so often, several errors are common. Clearing them up helps make sense of the winners list.
- The Crusaders have won 13 titles, not 14. The 2020 and 2021 domestic tournaments (Super Rugby Aotearoa) are usually recorded separately from the main competition.
- The 2025 champions are the Crusaders, not the Blues. The Crusaders beat the Chiefs 16–12; the Blues were the 2024 champions.
- Finals are not held at neutral venues. Hosting rights are earned through regular-season placing, so the higher-ranked finalist plays at home.
- South African teams are no longer involved. They moved to the United Rugby Championship after 2020.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Which team has won the most Super Rugby titles?
The Crusaders have won the most Super Rugby titles with 13, most recently in 2025. That is more than three times the total of the next New Zealand franchise, the Blues, who have four.
Who won the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title?
The Crusaders won the 2025 title, beating the Chiefs 16–12 in the final at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on 21 June 2025. It was the Crusaders’ 13th title and the Chiefs’ third straight losing final.
Why is there no Super Rugby champion for 2020 and 2021?
COVID-19 travel restrictions forced the competition to split into separate domestic tournaments in those years, so there was no single cross-border final. The Crusaders won Super Rugby Aotearoa in both years, and the Blues won the 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition.
Why did South African teams leave Super Rugby?
South Africa’s franchises left after the 2020 season to join the United Rugby Championship in the northern hemisphere, mainly to reduce long-haul travel and align with European time zones. No South African team has played in a Super Rugby final since 2010.
How is the Super Rugby final venue decided?
The final is hosted by the higher-ranked of the two finalists, based on regular-season standings, rather than at a fixed neutral venue. This is why several finals have been played at Eden Park in Auckland and in Christchurch.