Crusaders Under 20 Squad

The next generation of Crusaders talent have assembled, ready to represent the club at the Super Rugby U20 competition in Taupō.

It’s the third time the annual tournament has been held and includes teams from the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika. It also includes a NZ Barbarians side.

Games will be played Saturday 16 March, Tuesday 19 March and finals on Saturday 23 March at Owen Delany Park, and will be live and exclusive on Sky. Crusaders U20 play Highlanders U20 at 5.05pm on Saturday 16 March, the last game of the day.

The 27-man squad represents the best young players from across the Crusaders region. Alex Robertson is Head Coach with Assistant Coaches Hoani MacDonald, Kieran Coll and Brendon Smith rounding out the group.

“The team’s been training since the start of February in Nelson and Christchurch and have come together as a group four times with a focus on connection and care,” Robertson said.

“We’ve been focussing on core skills, the identity of the team, who we are and how we want to play. When the pressure comes on we want to ensure the lads know who they are and why they are fighting for each other.”

The team had two pre-season games versus the Hurricanes and Highlanders, coming away victorious on both occasions.

“It allowed us to build combinations and test our identity and connection as a group which was pleasing to see.

All games live on Sky Sport.