Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Rivez Reihana with his team-mates (file photo).Alamy Stock Photo FreeWinning Crusaders out-muscle Chiefs to clinch 15th Super Rugby crown Out-scored two tries to one in Christchurch, 11 points from the boot of fly-half Rivez Reihana proved decisive. 10.39am, 21 Jun 2025 Share options Crusaders 16-12 Chiefs SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC / YouTube THE CLINICAL CANTERBURY Crusaders turned to forward power to beat the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in a tense Super Rugby final on Saturday and clinch a record 15th title. The home side were out-scored two tries to one in Christchurch but 11 points from the boot of fly-half Rivez Reihana proved decisive in a brutal contest dominated by defence. The Crusaders played no-frills rugby to extend their perfect record to 32 wins in home play-off matches since the competition began in 1996. The Chiefs finished runners-up for a third successive season, matching the unwanted record of South Africa’s Lions from 2016-18. The result was a remarkable turnaround for Crusaders coach Rob Penney after his side failed to reach the play-offs last year. Advertisement He steered his side to victory in 10 of their last 11 games of the season. Their 15 titles is 11 more than any other team, although two of them were won during the Covid-19 pandemic, when regional competitions were contested. Ahead 13-12 at the interval, Reihana’s third penalty was the only score in a second half largely dominated by the Crusaders. They kept the game tight, relying on their trademark forward power that included a muscular scrum. It was enough to suffocate a Chiefs side laden with match-winners who had beaten the Crusaders in their two previous matches this season. The Chiefs struck first through a try to prop George Dyer after the Crusaders were reduced to 14 men with captain David Havili shown a yellow card for a high tackle. The home side levelled when Havili returned through a clever try to hooker Codie Taylor, who burst 20 metres down the blindside of a maul to score in the left corner. Reihana landed the sideline conversion and kicked two penalties in quick succession to put the Crusaders six points clear. The Chiefs closed to within one before the interval when fullback Shaun Stevenson crossed out wide off a long pass from lock Tupou Vaa’i. Errors crept into the Chiefs game as the pressure mounted and they spent much of the second half defending in their own territory. The match was the last in charge for coach Clayton McMillan, who was unable to end a Chiefs trophy drought dating back to 2013. McMillan takes over as head coach of Munster later this year. – © AFP 2025 View 9 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Crusaders out-muscle Chiefs to clinch 15th Super Rugby crown”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Crusaders out-muscle Chiefs to clinch 15th Super Rugby crown”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. 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