Christchurch will bid an emotional farewell to a part of the city’s history as the Crusaders take on the Fijian Drua at The Apollo Projects Stadium.
The ground was previously known as Rugby League Park, and while it sustained damage during the infamous 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Lancaster Park, the home of the Crusaders, had to be demolished.
A fortress born from the rubble: The 2012 awakening
The 2011 earthquake was devastating for the city of Christchurch. 185 people died, and more than 3500 homes needed to be demolished. One of the structures damaged beyond repair was Lancaster Park, home of the Crusaders.
Rugby League Park had to have its stands demolished, but was given temporary stands in March 2012 and became the home for the Crusaders.
14 years of “Temporary” Dominance
The Crusaders enjoyed a massively successful period at the beginning of Super Rugby, winning seven titles between 1998 and 2008. This was the final title that they won for nine years, bridging the 2011-2012 period. This was the period where Christchurch was recovering from the aftermath of the earthquake. They actually reached the Super Rugby final in 2011, despite not playing in Christchurch for most of that season. They were also runners-up in 2014.
The Crusaders beat the Lions in the final in Johannesburg in 2017 to win their first title since 2008. They won three Super Rugby titles in a row until Covid-19 derailed the competition, but they won Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2020 and 2021, before winning two more Super Rugby titles in 2022 and 2023. They had a poor showing in 2024, failing to make the top eight and missing the playoffs, before winning the competition again in 2025. This means they were title winners on eight out of nine occasions since 2017, playing in the Apollo Projects Stadium.
The final chapter: Crusaders vs Fijian Drua
The Crusaders play their final game at the Apollo Projects Stadium against the Fijian Drua. The Crusaders have won three of six games this season, while the Drua have won two. A win for the Crusaders in this massive game could see them reach as high as fourth as they sit on 14 points.
Looking forward: The transition to Te Kaha
Te Kaha is a state-of-the-art stadium which will bring the Crusaders to one of the best facilities in Super Rugby. The new arena will host the Super Rugby Super Round. It will host all five games across the weekend of the 24th to the 26th of April.
Dan Carter was invited to open the stadium and slotted the opening kick at the ground. This was rather fitting as Carter is an icon of Christchurch, Canterbury and Crusaders rugby.
