SUPER RUGBY CHIEFS HE PIKO, HE TANIWHA SPECIAL EDITION BOOK

Chiefs

Book by Tony Johnson and Lynn McConnell

Written by two of New Zealand’s finest rugby historians, Tony Johnson and Lynn McConnell, it tells the story of the Chiefs through the voices of those who have lived it — players, coaches, and staff across 30 years.

Thirty years of the Chiefs, two-time winners of the Super Rugby Championship, represents just such a milestone in the professional era of rugby.

Making history by moving on from a grand, but often glacial amateur ethos, the Chiefs had the most confronting start to franchise rugby of the five New Zealand sides. Split by the bulk of Auckland, the Chiefs were expected to find a cultural link with Northland and North Harbour.

It was always going to be an uncomfortable fit, yet those involved put their shoulder to the wheel and tried to make the most of it. In years to come, this decision will prompt historians and rugby fans to ask why it happened and how it worked.

That is just one reason why having the thoughts of those involved captured in a book like CHIEFS He Piko, He Taniwha is more valuable than might be initially thought.

Time moves quickly, and the need to understand these foundational features can be lost before it is realised.  But the Chiefs eventually found their way and developed into a highly competitive unit. Why that happened is also important. Who better to describe that evolution than those involved in achieving it.

The way in which the Chiefs were transformed, especially with their understanding of the legacy that attached them to their region, spreading out from the Waikato base to the Bay of Plenty, Thames Valley, Counties Manukau, King Country and, latterly, Taranaki, is one of the triumphs of Super Rugby.  So too is their utilisation of unused resources at Ruakura giving the organisation and team a base from which to build for their annual Super Rugby campaigns.

Then there are the players, coaches and administrators, many of whom have their own understanding of the Chiefs’ growth over 30 years. Recording their impressions of the Chiefs has been at the core of this work, and their publication will ensure their contributions are not lost to future generations.