Ted Blackadder
Winning culture. Very few teams in world sport have it and those that don’t are trying to build it. Manchester United, the Australian cricket team, the Bulls team of the past five years. They all bred winning cultures. The Crusaders are Super Rugby’s comparison to these great teams. The incredible passion, drive, belief and team spirit within the club has made them the absolute best in their field.
From Christchurch in New Zealand, the Crusaders are the most successful Super Rugby franchise-by far. They boast five Super 12 titles (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005) and two Super 14 titles (2006, 2008). They have appeared in nine finals, the most of any side since the competition’s inception in 1996.
The Crusaders hold a 67% overall win rate while holding an 83% home win rate. In 2002, the Crusaders achieved a feat still unmatched: 13 straight victories to clean sweep the Super Rugby season.
The longevity of their success is most impressive and has been something that fellow Super Rugby champions like the Brumbies, Bulls and Blues have been unable to replicate.
The coaches of the Crusaders over the years have instilled their passion for the franchise and New Zealand rugby into the players.
Robbie Deans spent an eternity playing for Canterbury and managed the side before taking up the reigns of head coach. Current coach Todd Blackadder captained the Crusaders and the All Blacks from 1996-2001.
These men bleed red and black. They once fought for the jersey. They have been part of the winning culture. They have carried it into the next era.
Blackadder has spoken of a desire to continue the Crusaders legacy and keep them at the pinnacle of world rugby. He said his old coach Deans ‘strived for excellence’, which rubbed off on everyone around him.
The Crusaders have never lacked belief. Three of their Super Rugby finals were won away from home after finishing last in their inaugural season. The team is known to play with flair, adopting a confident style of running rugby.
This season, the Crusaders have performed well without key players, including a 27-0 thumping of the Bulls without Richie McCaw and champion fly half Dan Carter.
The question will always be whether an opponent has the belief to beat the Crusaders.
There is no denying the Crusaders have had supreme talent at their disposal over the years. However, a strong team spirit is evident with a ‘nobody is irreplaceable’ mentality.
The team has remained consistently successful despite large changes in personnel. This has been built on a solid senior core of players, almost all of whom have graduated through to the All Blacks.
Veteran Rueben Thorne handed the captaincy to his understudy, Richie McCaw. Dan Carter was on the scene after Andrew Mehrtens retired. Explosive backs Sean Maitland and Sonny Bill Williams now take up the spots left by Caleb Ralph and Aaron Mauger.
Former winger Rico Gear said the Crusaders focussed on individual player input to achieve collective team goals, unlike his previous clubs. He believes other teams today are learning from the Crusaders’ setup.
The Crusaders are without a trophy for three years but their winning culture will mean that won’t be the case for much longer.
