The end of a supremely successful era, the anticipation of a new dawn, nears for the Crusaders.
Fifteen years ago, the Crusaders were homeless. Such an unusual, unfortunate situation paled in comparison to the lives lost and damage wrought following the devastating earthquakes that brought Christchurch to its knees.
Nevertheless, that 2011 year the Crusaders were forced to pull up their socks and take every home match on the road – from Nelson to Timaru and Twickenham. In doing so, they inspired hope for others to rebuild from the rubble.
In a season of resilience the Crusaders ultimately fell agonisingly short in the final against the Reds in Brisbane, having trekked from Cape Town in their semifinal the previous week.
Everyone, though, recognised the scale of their sacrifice and achievement.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional watching a game of sport,” Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge reflects on a time when he was a fan of the team.
“Even All Blacks Tests, World Cup wins, even talking to you now the throat lumps up a bit. They did everything they needed to do to be more than a footy team. Taking nothing away from the Reds but I thought that was one of the greatest campaigns the Crusaders have ever had. For the community it was the same.”
Lancaster Park hosted the Crusaders before it was wrecked by the February 2011 earthquakes. The Crusaders then went 684 days – from 2010 to 2012 – before playing in Christchurch again.
Initially intended to be a temporary solution, Apollo Projects Stadium forged a 15-season fortress status.
The Crusaders played 121 matches there, constructing a phenomenal record, losing 21 times and drawing once. That run includes unbeaten home campaigns in 2013 and 2019. They never lost a playoff match there, either, winning 19 straight, and claiming four grand finals.
Fourteen years after Kieran Read led the red-and-blacks out against the Cheetahs on March 24, 2012, the Crusaders marked their final match at the venue by raising the bat for their 100th win – a 69-26 demolition job on the Fijian Drua earlier this month.
All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor celebrated closing the Apollo chapter with four tries in his 150th match for the Crusaders.
“I don’t know what was going on there,” Taylor said. “I suppose I can claim a couple but I was on the back of some boys working pretty hard. It was special. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to go out for us as a team, with a performance like that, and personally getting into it as well.
“What was meant to be temporary ended up being 14 years. Having a place to call home was special and, on the back of that the success, what we’ve had there was memorable.
“I was hoping there would be a chance to get one of the seats. It would be quite cool to get your Crusaders number as a seat and have that as a wee mantlepiece for the mancave. I’m sure there’ll be something.”
While derided among locals for the lack of shelter from the bone-chilling elements, the poles that obstructed views and the uncomfortable seating, Apollo Projects conjured many memorable moments for the Crusaders.
Aside from the titles there was Mitch Hunt’s 43-metre dropped goal after the siren to defeat the Highlanders. Legend has it that after struggling to make headway after multiple phases and with desperation rising, veteran prop Wyatt Crockett yelled ‘just do something’. Hunt did the rest.
Sam Whitelock’s 60-metre try against the Reds features prominently on the highlight reel, too.
“When he burst up the middle and ran four million metres to score, that stands out. Everyone talks about the Mitch Hunt dropped goal. It’s hard to separate them all,” Mansbridge said. “The last game was very emotional too. The Drua and Easter would normally be a difficult combination but the people that were there, the joy, the spontaneous singing, brought it all together.
“The seats are crammed, narrow and old. On a good day it’s hard to sit in the venue because there’s not enough room. Two average people you feel like you’re sitting on top of each other.
“But it has been special. My whole working Crusaders love affair has been in that venue. It’s what I know. It feels like home to me.
“The sellout finals are something special. Most of the finals games have been close. It’s only at the backend people said you haven’t lost a finals match. You go in expecting it to be a contest and hoping to get out the other end – as a CEO so you can host another match to collect revenue to fund the club.
“When people remind you that you’re unbeaten there it’s a reminder of how special that is.”
For Taylor, the 2018 championship – the Crusaders’ first success in a home final for a decade – and repeating that the following year against the Jaguares stands out.
“It wasn’t ideal for many reasons but it was all we had so we sucked it up and got on with the job. It did become a fortress,” Taylor said. “There were 34 wins in a row there and winning championships. It became a place we loved to play.
“At the backend of Super Rugby the weather is always tough so we relished that the way we liked to play. It definitely helped us.
“2018/19 was pretty special winning those two earlier Super titles. We had some great success at home. The other one would be the British and Irish Lions. That was a huge game. It felt like a Test match. Although we didn’t get the win it was an awesome occasion.
“On a personal note debuting there and the milestones that came with it – 50, 100, 150. It’s been a great stadium.”
After such a prolonged wait locals wondered whether the vision of a new venue would ever come to fruition.
This weekend, though, the $683 million purpose built roofed One New Zealand Stadium’s new era starts by hosting Super Round, with the Crusaders fittingly the opening act in front of a sold-out crowd against the Waratahs on Friday night.
“It’s an amazing set up, the location of it and everything,” Taylor said. “We’ve gone from what was to what is now. The city deserves it. It’s awesome the community got together and the local government agreed it’s something we need. It’s going to be so special not just for rugby but the whole region bringing us together for concerts and everything.”
Apollo Projects wasn’t popular and, clearly, had its limitations. But from a pure success perspective, One New Zealand Stadium has much to match.
Opposition teams hated travelling to Christchurch in the middle of winter, particularly for playoff matches. It’s a venue where teams not wearing red and black were consistently buried.
While the fan experience and atmosphere will drastically improve, can the Crusaders live up to their Apollo success at their shiny new home? Will the stark contrast of guaranteed running rugby conditions inspire the same dread and intimidation commodities? And how much will they be forced to adapt their traditional game based on set-piece strength and pressure under a roof?
“Cold was one of the elements but I think of the final against the Chiefs last year,” Mansbridge said. “I reckon if that game had been played under a roof the intensity that our lads displayed, the accuracy, it wouldn’t have mattered where it was played. We were in the right headspace and prepared to win that game. I’m not sure conditions would have made a blind bit of difference.
“If you go in with the right mindset, detail and intensity it doesn’t matter where you play. I suspect the boos and cheers will be amplified by 10 in this place because the roof is on so it will be more intimidating.
“At this place from some of the seats you feel like you could lean out and touch the ball. It’s that close. You put all those things together and we can’t wait to get in there.”
This year hasn’t been a vintage Crusaders campaign. They return home with a 4-5 record after a dire Australian tour, following successive losses to the Reds and Force, with a lengthy injury list that includes Will Jordan, Tamaiti Williams, Ethan Blackadder, Chay Fihaki and with powerhouse backline utility Leicester Fainga’anuku starting at openside flanker for the first time.
Surely, though, nothing can spoil their long-awaited opening party.
Regardless of the opening result, One NZ Stadium promises to be New Zealand’s best sporting venue for many years to come.
The envious anyone-but-the-Crusaders brigade will hope their new home sparks a slump in fortunes but no one can begrudge Christchurch finally savouring a pristine permanent venue it deserves.
