Another Super Rugby season has begun for 2026.

The Chiefs beat the Blues 19-15 in Auckland and the Brumbies have trampled the Force 56-24 in Perth.

Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to recap the action.

LISTEN ABOVE

Another Super Rugby season has begun for 2026.
The Chiefs beat the Blues 19-15 in Auckland and the Brumbies have trampled the Force 56-24 in Perth.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley joined Piney to recap the action.
LISTEN ABOVE

Weekend Sport with Jason Pine on Newstalk ZB brings you all the action and reaction to the sporting weekend.

Weekend Sport with Jason Pine

Jack Mesley: Super Rugby Pacific CEO on the start of the 2026 season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0a065497-c676-4527-8f5c-b3f20028c0a4/transcript

A tribute to the Crusaders now former home from CEO Colin Mansbridge in the wake of the Super Rugby team's final match there. 

Apollo Projects Stadium housed the team for 14 years and saw them take home multiple Super Rugby titles. 

It has been farewelled with a 69-26 thumping of the Fijian Drua – hooker Codie Taylor scoring four tries in what was his 150th game for the franchise. 

Mansbridge told Piney it’s always going to be a place that every time he walks past, no matter what shape or form it takes in the future, it’ll be a place that grabs the heart.  

“I think it’ll always be like our folks’ home – you know, it’ll always be that thing that you hope they don’t sell.” 

LISTEN ABOVE 

A tribute to the Crusaders now former home from CEO Colin Mansbridge in the wake of the Super Rugby team's final match there.&nbsp;
Apollo Projects Stadium housed the team for 14 years and saw them take home multiple Super Rugby titles.&nbsp;
It has been farewelled with a 69-26 thumping of the Fijian Drua – hooker Codie Taylor scoring four tries in what was his 150th game for the franchise.&nbsp;
Mansbridge told Piney it’s always going to be a place that every time he walks past, no matter what shape or form it takes in the future, it’ll be a place that grabs the heart. &nbsp;
“I think it’ll always be like our folks’ home – you know, it’ll always be that thing that you hope they don’t sell.”&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Colin Mansbridge: Crusaders CEO on the team's final match at the Apollo Projects Stadium

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/daba5b2b-eea5-407a-96cd-b4220014ec4a/transcript

We now say goodbye to what was only ever supposed to be a temporary venue but has become a fortress for the Crusaders and a graveyard for anyone who tried to go there and win. 

Seven championship winning seasons were played there from 2017 to 2023 – another one last season. 

But a place that came to represent something far greater than a place to watch the Crusaders. 

It's only when you go to Christchurch to watch the Crusaders play that you fully realise what this team means to its region. 

For a city that's had to endure so much, the Crusaders have been a uniting force. A symbol of togetherness. 

And they have provided a distraction from the often challenging lives of those who inhabit that great city. 

It feels like the new stadium is the final piece in the rebuild puzzle. 

After what they've endured in the 15 years since that dreadful day in February 2011, the opening of a new stadium signifies the completion of a long road back to normality. 

Christchurch is now complete once more. 

Now of course there's a tendency to look at things like this with a sense of misty-eyed romanticism and overlook the faults of Addington. 

It’s a bit hard to get to. Very, very cold. Short on modern-day facilities for the teams, sponsors, media, and the fans.  

But the legacy of that so-called temporary stadium will be as significant as what Lancaster Park was, and what Te Kaha will almost certainly become. 

In the midst of difficulty and destruction and despair, Addington brought people together.  

It provided pockets of joy to a city that badly needed them and came to represent much, much more than just a place to watch a game of rugby. 

We now say goodbye to what was only ever supposed to be a temporary venue but has become a fortress for the Crusaders and a graveyard for anyone who tried to go there and win.&nbsp;
Seven championship winning seasons were played there from 2017 to 2023 – another one last season.&nbsp;
But a place that came to represent something far greater than a place to watch the Crusaders.&nbsp;
It's only when you go to Christchurch to watch the Crusaders play that you fully realise what this team means to its region.&nbsp;
For a city that's had to endure so much, the Crusaders have been a uniting force. A symbol of togetherness.&nbsp;
And they have provided a distraction from the often challenging lives of those who inhabit that great city.&nbsp;
It feels like the new stadium is the final piece in the rebuild puzzle.&nbsp;
After what they've endured in the 15 years since that dreadful day in February 2011, the opening of a new stadium signifies the completion of a long road back to normality.&nbsp;
Christchurch is now complete once more.&nbsp;
Now of course there's a tendency to look at things like this with a sense of misty-eyed romanticism and overlook the faults of Addington.&nbsp;
It’s a bit hard to get to. Very, very cold. Short on modern-day facilities for the teams, sponsors, media, and the fans. &nbsp;
But the legacy of that so-called temporary stadium will be as significant as what Lancaster Park was, and what Te Kaha will almost certainly become.&nbsp;
In the midst of difficulty and destruction and despair, Addington brought people together. &nbsp;
It provided pockets of joy to a city that badly needed them and came to represent much, much more than just a place to watch a game of rugby.&nbsp;

Jason Pine: The legacy of the Apollo Projects Stadium

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/5e580908-e2d8-4623-92e3-b4220012964d/transcript

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Warriors' first loss of the season and the ongoing Super Rugby season.

LISTEN ABOVE

James McOnie from The Crowd Goes Wild joined Piney to discuss the Warriors' first loss of the season and the ongoing Super Rugby season.
LISTEN ABOVE

James McOnie: The Crowd Goes Wild host on the Warriors losing and the ongoing Super Rugby season

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/07237474-683b-4a9c-ad7d-b41c002919db/transcript

Jack Mesley: Super Rugby Pacific CEO on the start of the 2026 season

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