Chiefs (rugby union)

Chiefs
Union	New Zealand Rugby Union
Founded	1996
Location	Hamilton, New Zealand
Region	Bay of Plenty; Counties Manukau; King Country; Thames Valley; Waikato
Ground(s)	Waikato Stadium; (Capacity: 25,800) Baypark Stadium; (Capacity: 19,800); Growers Stadium; (Capacity: 12,000)
Coach(es)	Dave Rennie
Captain(s)	Liam Messam, Craig Clarke
League(s)	Super Rugby
2011	10th
1st kit	2nd kit
Official website
	www.chiefs.co.nz

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The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs) are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Their home ground is Waikato Stadium. The Chiefs play in black, red and yellow coloured jerseys. The team competes in the Super Rugby competition (known as the Super 12 from 1996 to 2005 and Super 14 from 2006-2010) and is one of the competition's five New Zealand sides.

Until 2004, the Chiefs were the only New Zealand side to never have qualified for the Super 12 semi-finals. In that year the Chiefs earned their first semi-final berth, and in the end achieved 4th place (defeated 37-20 in the semi-final by the ACT Brumbies). They had their best finish in 2009, making the final but finding themselves on the short end of a record 61–17 defeat by the Bulls.

[edit] History

The Chiefs were founded in 1995 for the inaugural Super 12 season in 1996. Prior to the Super 12, the Super 10 competition had been in place, which NPC teams took part in (including Waikato). In the first year of competition the Chiefs placed 6th in the overall standings, missing out on making the finals; winning 6 of their 11 regular season matches. The following season the Chiefs placed 11th, winning 4 games and losing 7. In 1998 the Chiefs performed closer to the standard of their 1996 season and placed at 7th in the final standings. In 1999 the franchise were able to do one better and claimed 6th position on the ladder but were still yet to make the Super 12 finals.

In 2000 the Chiefs won 3 of their regular season games and finished in 10th place by the end of the season. The following season the team equalled their best position again - finishing 6th. In 2002 the team won 4 games and lost 7 to finish in 8th position, and the season after, 2003, fell to a 10th finish. But the season after the Chiefs won 7 regular season games and came in at 4th on the season table - claiming their first semi-final spot in their history. The Chiefs lost the semi-final against the Brumbies. In 2005 the team finished 6th. In 2006 the Super 12 expanded to the Super 14 with the addition of a new Australian and South African team. The Chiefs won 7 of their 13 games and drew once with 5 losses to come 7th. In 2009 the Chiefs made their second ever semi final, defeating the Hurricanes 14 - 10 to advance to the final for the first time. They lost the 2009 final to the Bulls by the biggest-ever margin 61-17.

[edit] Franchise area

The team represents the provincial unions of Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, King Country, Thames Valley and Waikato. Originally the Chiefs also represented North Harbour and Northland, because when the Super 12 was created in 1995, a large contingent of New Zealand players came from Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau.

Had the Auckland Blues been allowed to represent Auckland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Northland, they would have in effect been able to play a team of All Blacks in all but name. In an effort by the NZRU to make things more fair, the Chiefs were given North Harbour and Northland, while the Blues were given Counties Manukau and Thames Valley. By 1999, clear regional All Blacks dominance no longer existed, so the Chiefs arranged a swap with the Blues. North Harbour and Northland were "returned" to the Blues in exchange for Counties Manukau and Thames Valley.

[edit] Super Records and Achievements

[edit] Super 12 Placings

Year	Played	Win	Draw	Loss	PF	PA	Diff	BP	Points	Place	Playoffs
Super 12 Results
1996	11	6	0	5	291	269	+22	4	28	6th
1997	11	4	0	7	272	295	-23	3	19	11th
1998	11	6	0	5	279	291	-12	5	29	7th
1999	11	5	0	6	248	301	-53	6	26	6th
2000	11	3	0	8	257	352	-95	8	20	10th
2001	11	6	0	5	301	330	-29	4	28	6th
2002	11	4	0	7	323	341	-18	8	24	8th
2003	11	2	0	9	257	274	-17	9	17	10th
2004	11	7	0	4	274	251	+23	5	33	4th	Lost semi-final to Brumbies
2005	11	5	1	5	272	250	+22	6	28	6th

[edit] Super 14 Placings

Year	Played	Win	Draw	Loss	PF	PA	Diff	BP	Points	Place	Playoffs
Super 14 Results
2006	13	7	1	5	325	298	+27	6	36	7th
2007	13	7	1	5	373	321	+52	10	40	6th
2008	13	7	0	6	348	349	-1	6	34	7th
2009	13	9	0	4	338	236	+102	9	45	2nd	Lost in the final against Bulls
2010	13	4	1	8	340	418	-78	8	26	11th

[edit] 2012 squad

The squad for the 2012 season:^[1]

Name	Position	Nationality	Province
Ben Afeaki	Prop	New Zealand	North Harbour
Shane Cleaver	Prop	New Zealand	Manawatu
Toby Smith	Prop	New Zealand	Waikato
Sona Taumalolo	Prop	Tonga	Hawke's Bay
Ben Tameifuna	Prop	New Zealand	Hawke's Bay
Hikawera Elliot	Hooker	New Zealand	Hawke's bay
Mahonri Schwalger	Hooker	Samoa	Taranaki
Craig Clarke (C)	Lock	New Zealand	Waikato
Brodie Retallick	Lock	New Zealand	Bay of Plenty
Romana Graham	Lock	New Zealand	Waikato
Michael Fitzgerald	Lock	New Zealand	Manawatu
Kane Thompson	Lock	Samoa	Hawke's Bay
Sam Cane	Flanker	New Zealand	Bay of Plenty
Tanerau Latimer	Flanker	New Zealand	Bay of Plenty
Liam Messam(C)	Flanker	New Zealand	Waikato
Scott Waldrom	Flanker	New Zealand	Taranaki
Fritz Lee	Number8	Samoa	Counties Manukau
Alex Bradley	Number8	New Zealand	Waikato
Brendon Leonard	Halfback	New Zealand	Waikato
Tawera Kerr-Barlow	Halfback	New Zealand	Waikato
Aaron Cruden	First Five-Eighth	New Zealand	Manawatu
Andrew Horrell	First Five-Eighth	New Zealand	Hawke's Bay
Sonny Bill Williams	Second Five-Eighth	New Zealand	Canterbury
Asaeli Tikoirotuma	Second Five-Eighth	New Zealand	Manawatu
Richard Kahui	Centre	New Zealand	Waikato
Jackson Willison	Centre	New Zealand	Waikato
Lelia Masaga	Wing	New Zealand	Bay of Plenty
Declan O'Donnell	Wing	New Zealand	Waikato
Maritino Nemani	Wing	Fiji	Hawke's Bay
Robbie Robinson	Fullback	New Zealand	Southland
Tim Nanai-Williams	Fullback	New Zealand	Counties Manukau