Meet member and superfan Jenny Greenwood

There are Crusaders fans and then there’s Jenny Greenwood. As we mark Connection Week, we celebrate those of our fans who are connected to our club like few others.

Jenny has an unparalleled collection of memorabilia at her Canterbury home. She refuses to buy anything off TradeMe to build her collection – all of it has been gathered by her own hands at matches or events.

“I’ve never done anything on TradeMe, never would, it’s all mine,” she said.

“They’re all priceless, I don’t think there’s any one thing that would stand out as the most valuable.”

She had no idea what the total count was on her memorabilia collection, but her jerseys alone numbered more than 40.

“All my little pieces, the photos, the boots, the jerseys – I wouldn’t want to be without any of them.” 

Jenny and husband Brian have been Crusader Members for more than 20 years. They travel for games and wouldn’t miss a chance to see their beloved Crusaders take the field.

“We started in 2001 when Sam Broomhall was in the squad. We were friends with him, a good Leeson boy, and went to all the games,” she said.

“We got season tickets the next year because he was playing and once Daniel [Carter] started playing we just carried on.”

A Crusaders membership is the best way to be a fan of the franchise and make the most of your game day experience. You’ll attend member-exclusive events and have priority access to finals tickets and anything else happening throughout the season. On top of that, you’ll get some merchandise to start your own collection. 

“There’s something about rugby here in Canterbury, I don’t know what it is. I’ve been to Dunedin, and to Hamilton, but I don’t believe anyone does it like Canterbury does. They just don’t.

“We just love the boys and the atmosphere at the rugby. As members we get to go and see them train every now and then too, it’s amazing.”

So, what was her favourite piece of memorabilia she owned?

“Oh, it’s Andy Ellis,” she said, pointing to a life-sized cut out of the 154-cap Crusader who played his last game in 2016.

“The way be played the game and how he went around the field after, talking to all the kids – he had time for everybody,” she said.

“He’s just incredible.”