BLUES NEWS
BELGRAVIA ONBOARD TO PROVIDE SUPPORTER’S APPAREL RANGE
With a desire to increase the Blues supporter range and deliver more options for fans young and old, the Blues have established a multi-layered partnership with Belgravia Apparel.
The experienced sports customised apparel supplier will produce a range of kit for the most passionate Blues fans from new-born onesies through to youth tees and hooded towels to enable supporters to show their true blue throughout the Blues region.
BLUES NORTHLAND FIXTURE UPDATE 2022
The continued covid restrictions have forced the Blues to cancel plans to take a DHL Super Rugby Pacific match to Whangarei.
The Blues have rescheduled the game to North Harbour Stadium and are operating under the red light restrictions of no crowds.
PAPALII BACK TO MEET CHIEFS AT EDEN PARK
The Blues welcome back their new captain and All Black, Dalton Papalii to the starting line-up for Saturday’s return to Eden Park to take on neighbours the Chiefs in DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
The team, returning to Auckland on Thursday afternoon from the temporary base in Queenstown, is virtually the same combination that was pipped 33-32 in the first outing against the Hurricanes.
nib BLUES SHARE ‘A DAY IN THE LIFE’ AS A PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S RUGBY PLAYER
The nib Blues have partnered with nib New Zealand (nib), to launch a series of videos which take a behind-the-scenes-look at the lives of the Blues wāhine, as they prepare for the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki competition kicking off this Saturday.
The videos showcase what it takes to be a professional female rugby player and follows ‘A Day in the Life’ of players Eloise Blackwell, Cristo Tofa and Theresa Fitzpatrick.
MOTHER OF TWINS RETURNS TO LEAD nib BLUES
With 20-week-old twins in her arms, the last thing that former Black Fern Aroha Savage was expecting was a call from nib Blues coach Willie Walker.
The call was to inquire if Savage, a 33-capped No 8 for the Black Ferns and formerly with Auckland, Counties Manukau and Northland, would consider a return to the game.
After careful thought, Savage agreed, but when the next call came from Walker, it shocked her more. It was to ask if she would accept the role as captain for the inaugural Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition.
HEALTHY LIVING POWERS UP WĀHINE TOA IN NATIONAL RUGBY COMPETITION
A new super rugby partnership with Te Hiringa Hauora | Health Promotion Agency will place health and wellbeing as the winner on the day, when the competition whistle blows next week. Te Hiringa Hauora is teaming up with three Sky Super Rugby Aupiki teams at this year’s inaugural women’s super-rugby competition to be played in Taupō and Hamilton.
WE’RE HEADING HOME TO EDEN PARK FOR CLASH WITH CHIEFS
The Blues are coming home to rugby’s spiritual home of Eden Park next week.
After a month in a bubble in Queenstown, the Blues are set to take on neighbours the Chiefs at Eden Park next Saturday, 5 March in the third round of the DHL Super Rugby Pacific competition.
THE BOYS ALL SET FOR SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC OPENER
The Blues will welcome eight All Blacks, past or present, into their line-up for the first appearance in the DHL Super Rugby Pacific.
They take on the Hurricanes, who impressed in their opening loss against the Crusaders, at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday night.
NEW ZEALAND RUGBY TO RELOCATE SUPER RUGBY AUPIKI TEAMS TO TAUPŌ
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has made the decision to relocate the four Sky Super Rugby Aupiki squads to Taupō to ensure the inaugural season of the competition can take place.
SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR ROUND 2
The DHL Super Rugby Pacific Round 2 draw has been reshuffled to give Moana Pasifika more time to prepare for their match against the Chiefs. The announced changes do not affect the draw for any Round 2 matches played in Australia.
BLUES CAPTAIN TACKLES YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
Blues and All Black flanker Dalton Papalii is tackling youth mental health in 2022.
The dynamic international No 7, is adding mental health awareness to his growing list of responsibilities, after being announced Blues skipper this year. He will donate $7 for every tackle he makes this season to New Zealand mental health charity I Am Hope.
nib BLUES SIGNS TWO-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH KOMATSU
Komatsu’s partnership with the nib Blues starting with the inaugural Sky Super Rugby Aupiki women’s rugby competition next month will reinforce a drive by the earthmoving machinery innovator to achieve gender equality in its own workplace.
The Blues have announced a two-year collaboration with the global utility, construction, and mining equipment manufacturer to become an official partner of the nib Blues Women’s team beginning with the Sky Super Rugby Aupiki.
FORMER BLACKFERN FORWARD RETURNS TO RUGBY WITH nib BLUES
The nib Blues has received a significant and unexpected boost with former Black Ferns lock Charmaine Smith making a return to the game.
NZ RUGBY STATEMENT ON DHL SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC COVID CLOSE CONTACT
One of the players in the DHL Super Rugby Pacific bubble in Queenstown has this evening been identified as a possible close contact of a confirmed COVID case and team protocols have been applied.
The player, a member of the Blues camp, and his roommate, have as a precaution been isolated from the rest of the group in line with public health protocols. The team doctor is conducting a PCR test to supplement the twice-weekly Rapid Antigen Tests all teams are receiving.
DALTON PAPALII PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN
Twenty-four-year-old All Black loose forward Dalton Papalii has been named as captain of the Blues for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
PLAYING TIME FOR SQUAD IN PRESEASON CLASH
The Blues will have most of their squad available to play in the first pre-season game against the Hurricanes in Wellington on Sunday.
QUEENSTOWN BUBBLE INITIATIVE
The Blues are backing the work by all New Zealand-based Super Rugby Clubs and NZ Rugby, to establish a bubble to ensure the Super Rugby Pacific competition goes ahead uninterrupted by Covid.
In consultation with all six New Zealand-based Super Rugby Clubs, NZR has made the decision to relocate the New Zealand-based Super Rugby Pacific squads to Queenstown to mitigate against the risk of COVID-19.
FORWARDS COACH EXTENDS HIS STAY TO END OF 2023
Blues forwards coach Tom Coventry has extended his tenure at the club for further two years.
Coventry is one of only a handful of coaches to have won multiple Super Rugby titles at different clubs, with success in winning last year’s Trans Tasman Trophy at the Blues and two Super Rugby crowns at the Chiefs.
SKY SUPER AUPIKI KICKS OFF WITH DOUBLE-HEADER AT EDEN PARK
The nib Blues women will kick-off the inaugural Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition against Chiefs Manawa in an exciting double header with the men.
This will mirror the historic first women’s match against Super Rugby clubs last year, set for Eden Park on Saturday 5 March.
HOT SUMMER FORCES BLUES TO MOVE PRE-SEASON GAME TO TAKAPUNA
The Blues have been forced to change venue for their pre-season game against the Hurricanes to Onewa Domain in Takapuna on Saturday 5 February.