Crusaders - The Crusaders Rugby Team

The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) was formed in 1996 to represent the upper part of the South Island of New Zealand in the Super 12 (now Super 14) Rugby Union Tournament. Crusaders is a Christchurch, New Zealand based franchise representing the Nelson Bays, Marlborough, Buller, Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury, South Canterbury, Tasman and West Coast provincial rugby unions. Their main home ground is Jade Stadium, Christchurch.

The Crusaders have dominated the Super competition more than any other of the teams. The first year in the competition the team struggled and finished last. In 1997 the team performance improved and they finished sixth. Between 1998 and 2000 the team pulled off a hat-trick winning all three titles and each final being won away from their home ground. In 2001 the Crusaders had a break from the final and in 2002 the Crusaders achieved the perfect season, winning all 11 games in the round-robin phase of the tournament, then completing it with success in the semi-final and final. In 2003 and 2004 the Crusaders were in the final. In 2005 and 2006 the Crusaders won the title again.

It is an amazing feeling to sit in Jade Stadium and watch one of the Super competition games. The sight of the horses galloping around the field with the fitting music, creates a sheer grandeur and it certainly must help inspire this team to represent their region as well as they do...

Rugby Try

The basic aim of rugby is to score a try. A try is when the team attacking puts the ball on the ground in the opposition's in-goal area. The in-goal area is the part of the field from the line that the goal posts are positioned along, widthwise across the field and back to the line behind the posts. It forms a rectangular area. The team that scores the try is awarded five points for having done so.

After a try is scored, the team that scored the try then has the opportunity to kick a conversion. The ball is placed up the field in line with the position along the tryline, where the try was scored. The ball is kicked from this point between the goalposts. If successful, two points are awarded for the conversion.

A try is similar to a touchdown in American football with the major difference being that a try requires the player to touch the ball against the ground. In both forms of rugby the term touchdown refers only to the physical act of touching the ball down in the opposition's in-goal area.