2023 Super Rugby Pacific final

The 2023 Super Rugby Pacific final was a rugby union match contested between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium on 24 June 2023. It was the 28th Super Rugby final, staged to determine the premiers of the 2023 season. The match, attended by 25,000 spectators, was won by the Crusaders by a margin of five points, marking the franchise's twelfth Super Rugby title. Sam Whitelock was named "Man of the Match" in his 181st and final match for the Crusaders.

2023 Super Rugby Pacific final

2023 Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final
Event	2023 Super Rugby Pacific season
Chiefs Crusaders 20 25
Date	24 June 2023
Venue	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Man of the Match	Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)[1]
Referee	Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
Attendance	25,000[2][3]
← 2022 2024 →

Background

The Chiefs and the Crusaders finished first and second, respectively.^[4][5] It was the teams' first encounter in a Super Rugby final.^[6]

Both finalists had won a Super Rugby title, with the Crusaders being the two-time, back-to-back defending champions and holding the most title victories in the Super Rugby (11), with the Chiefs' last Super Rugby title being in 2013. The head-to-head results overall in the Super Rugby before their encounter was 27–19, with the Crusaders holding an eight victory lead. Six of their last ten matches went the way of the Crusaders, and, in 2023, the Chiefs won both fixtures against the Crusaders. The odds for the final were equal, with both teams not being considered favourite.^[7]

Road to the final

Final ladder placings (showing top eight)

Pos.	Team	Season				Points
		P	W	D	L
1	Chiefs	14	13	0	1	59
2	Crusaders	14	10	0	4	48
3	Blues	14	10	0	4	46
4	ACT Brumbies	14	10	0	4	46
5	Hurricanes	14	9	0	5	41
6	Waratahs	14	6	0	8	31
7	Fijian Drua	14	6	0	8	26
8	Reds	14	5	0	9	24

Bracket

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals
	10 June – Hamilton
	Chiefs	29
					17 June – Hamilton
	Reds	20
					Chiefs	19
					ACT Brumbies	9
					16 June – Christchurch
					Blues	15
	10 June – Christchurch
					Crusaders	52
	Crusaders	49
	Drua	8

Final

24 June 2023 17:05 NZST (UTC+12)[8]

Chiefs	20–25	Crusaders
Try: Shaun Stevenson 23' c Emoni Narawa 43' c Con: Damian McKenzie (2/2) 24', 44' Pen: Damian McKenzie (2/4) 20', 49' Cards: Anton Lienert-Brown 9' to 19' Luke Jacobson 26' to 36' Sam Cane  72'	Report	Try: Codie Taylor (2) 28' m, 73' c Richie Mo'unga 36' c Con: Richie Mo'unga (2/3) 37', 74' Pen: Richie Mo'unga (2/2) 9', 80+1' Chay Fihaki (0/1)

Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 25,000[2][3] Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

Chiefs

Crusaders

FB 15 Shaun Stevenson RW 14 Emoni Narawa[a] OC 13 Alex Nankivell  77' IC 12 Anton Lienert-Brown 9' to 19' LW 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo  60' FH 10 Damian McKenzie SH 9 Brad Weber (cc)  60' N8 8 Luke Jacobson 26' to 36' OF 7 Sam Cane (cc)  72' BF 6 Pita Gus Sowakula  50' LL 5 Tupou Vaa'i  60' RL 4 Brodie Retallick TP 3 George Dyer  60' HK 2 Samisoni Taukei'aho  69' LP 1 Aidan Ross  50' Substitutes: HK 16 Tyrone Thompson  69' PR 17 Ollie Norris  50' PR 18 John Ryan  60' LK 19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi  60' FL 20 Samipeni Finau  50' WG 21 Cortez Ratima  60' SH 22 Josh Ioane  60' CE 23 Rameka Poihipi  77' Coach: Clayton McMillan

FB 15 Will Jordan RW 14 Dallas McLeod  13' CE 13 Braydon Ennor SF 12 Jack Goodhue LW 11 Leicester Fainga'anuku FH 10 Richie Mo'unga SH 9 Mitchell Drummond  50' N8 8 Christian Lio-Willie OF 7 Tom Christie BF 6 Sione Havili Talitui  57' LL 5 Sam Whitelock RL 4 Scott Barrett (c) TP 3 Oli Jager  77' HK 2 Codie Taylor LP 1 Tamaiti Williams  69' Substitutes: HK 16 George Bell PR 17 Kershawl Sykes-Martin  69' PR 18 Reuben O'Neill  77' LK 19 Quinten Strange FL 20 Dominic Gardiner  57' SH 21 Willi Heinz  50' WG 22 Fergus Burke  74' WG 23 Chay Fihaki  13'  74' Coach: Scott Robertson

Man of the Match: Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)[1][9] Assistant Referees: Nic Berry (Australia) Angus Gardner (Australia) Television match official: Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)[10]

Notes

1. Narawa was born in Fiji. He did not represent New Zealand until after the 2023 season had already concluded.