Super Rugby is the Southern Hemisphere’s premier professional rugby union competition, featuring elite teams from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and Japan. The Super Rugby winners list spans nearly three decades of intense competition since the tournament began in 1996.
The Crusaders dominate the Super Rugby winners history with 15 titles, establishing themselves as the competition’s most successful franchise.
Super Rugby Winners: Complete Year-by-Year List
| Season | Winner | Country | Runner-Up | Score |
| 2025 | Chiefs | New Zealand | Fijian Drua | 34-31 |
| 2024 | Blues | New Zealand | Hurricanes | 23-13 |
| 2023 | Chiefs | New Zealand | Crusaders | 27-13 |
| 2022 | Blues | New Zealand | Hurricanes | 16-15 |
| 2021 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Hurricanes | 32-12 |
| 2020 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Jaguares | 24-9 |
| 2019 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Jaguares | 19-3 |
| 2018 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Lions | 37-18 |
| 2017 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Lions | 25-17 |
| 2016 | Highlanders | New Zealand | Hurricanes | 20-18 |
| 2015 | Hurricanes | New Zealand | Highlanders | 34-32 |
| 2014 | Waratahs | Australia | Crusaders | 35-27 |
| 2013 | Brumbies | Australia | Highlanders | 35-32 |
| 2012 | Chiefs | New Zealand | Brumbies | 37-6 |
| 2011 | Reds | Australia | Crusaders | 20-18 |
| 2010 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Sharks | 24-19 |
| 2009 | Bulls | South Africa | Sharks | 61-17 |
| 2008 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Lions | 20-12 |
| 2007 | Bulls | South Africa | Sharks | 20-19 |
| 2006 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Blues | 19-12 |
| 2005 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Brumbies | 35-25 |
| 2004 | Brumbies | Australia | Crusaders | 17-16 |
| 2003 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Bulls | 21-17 |
| 2002 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Brumbies | 41-17 |
| 2001 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Stormers | 24-19 |
| 2000 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Blues | 24-13 |
| 1999 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Sharks | 24-6 |
| 1998 | Crusaders | New Zealand | Blues | 20-13 |
| 1997 | Blues | New Zealand | Crusaders | 23-7 |
| 1996 | Blues | New Zealand | Sharks | 45-21 |
Most Super Rugby Winners: Franchise Records
The Crusaders stand at the top of the Super Rugby winners list with 15 championship titles. Their dominance spans from 1998 to 2021, establishing an unmatched legacy in professional rugby union across the Southern Hemisphere.
New Zealand franchises have won 25 of the 30 Super Rugby championships contested since 1996.
The Blues began the competition strong with back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997, but the Crusaders emerged as the era’s greatest champions during the most competitive period of professional rugby.
The Hurricanes, Highlanders, and Chiefs represent New Zealand’s competitive depth in the Super Rugby winners hierarchy.
Super Rugby Winners by Franchise:
- Crusaders: 15 titles
- Blues: 2 titles
- Hurricanes: 1 title
- Highlanders: 1 title
- Chiefs: 2 titles
- Brumbies: 2 titles
- Waratahs: 1 title
- Reds: 1 title
- Bulls: 2 titles
Crusaders Dominance: 15 Super Rugby Winners Championships
The Crusaders’ reign as the competition’s greatest Super Rugby winners franchise began with their 1998 championship.
The Christchurch-based team won back-to-back titles from 1998 through 2002, establishing themselves as rugby’s elite franchise during the tournament’s formative professional years.
Crusaders Super Rugby winners achievements include five consecutive championships from 2002 to 2006.
This period showcased their exceptional consistency, development systems, and coaching excellence led by the legendary Todd Blackadder who transformed the franchise into a rugby powerhouse.
Between 2008 and 2021, the Crusaders added ten additional championships to their collection.
Their recent dominance under Scott Robertson proved their ability to adapt and maintain excellence across different eras of professional rugby competition and evolving tactical approaches.
New Zealand Dominance: 25 of 30 Super Rugby Winners
New Zealand franchises have dominated the Super Rugby winners list since the tournament’s inception in 1996.
The country’s consistent excellence reflects superior player development systems, coaching infrastructure, and competitive depth across all regions of the nation.
The Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs, and Blues provide consistent challenge and alternative Super Rugby winners pathways.
This competitive environment pushes all New Zealand franchises toward excellence and produces international talent for the All Blacks rugby team.
Australian Super Rugby winners success peaked between 2011 and 2014 when the Reds, Waratahs, and Brumbies each claimed the championship.
This era demonstrated that the Southern Hemisphere competition produces elite rugby at multiple franchises simultaneously across different countries and playing philosophies.
International Expansion: South African and Argentine Super Rugby Winners
Super Rugby’s expansion to include South African franchises added competitive depth and produced memorable Super Rugby winners moments.
RELATED ARTICLES
The Bulls won consecutive titles in 2007 and 2009, proving South African rugby excellence within this competitive tournament structure.
The Jaguares, Argentina’s Super Rugby franchise, appeared in three consecutive final matches from 2019 to 2021.
Their emergence represents rugby’s growth in South America and the competition’s continental significance beyond traditional powerhouses, expanding where future Super Rugby winners may emerge from.
Japanese franchises have recently joined the Super Rugby winners competition, expanding the tournament’s global reach and creating pathways for Pacific rugby development.
Recent Super Rugby Winners: 2023-2025 Champions
The Chiefs claimed the 2025 Super Rugby championship with a narrow 34-31 victory over the Fijian Drua in the final.
This triumph marked the Chiefs’ second title in three years, establishing them among the competition’s current dominant forces alongside traditional powerhouses.
The Blues won consecutive Super Rugby winners titles in 2022 and 2024, demonstrating their return to championship-level competition.
Their 2024 victory over the Hurricanes showcased the Blues’ development and coaching improvements under recent leadership changes that rebuilt their championship culture.
The Crusaders added championships in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic-affected seasons.
These victories extended their Super Rugby winners legacy and proved their sustained excellence across nearly three decades of professional rugby competition at the highest level.
Super Rugby Format Evolution: How Championships Changed
The original Super Rugby format featured 12 franchises from three countries competing across a 30-week season.
The tournament structure evolved significantly, with rounds added, conferences adjusted, and franchises withdrawn during various eras of professional rugby development.
Super Rugby now features a dynamic conference system with multiple regional groupings affecting competition structure.
This format innovation impacts how Super Rugby winners emerge and which franchises compete for the championship trophy annually based on geographic and competitive positioning.
The recent introduction of a finals series transformed tournament conclusion and created more dramatic Super Rugby winners moments.
Previous seasons used ladder positioning to determine finals participants, but current formats emphasize playoff competition and sudden-death matches that determine ultimate champions.
Legendary Moments: Greatest Super Rugby Winners Achievements
The Crusaders’ 1998 championship triumph established their dynasty and signaled New Zealand rugby excellence within professional competition.
Led by Todd Blackadder’s coaching, this first championship set the foundation for fifteen titles across three decades of sustained competitive success.
The Blues’ back-to-back championships in 1996-1997 provided early competitive excellence and showcased Auckland rugby’s traditional strength.
These early Super Rugby winners achievements validated the tournament concept and attracted global rugby attention to professional rugby union competition.
The Hurricanes’ 2015 championship victory demonstrated that consistent excellence across multiple seasons could culminate in breakthrough championships.
That triumph represented Wellington’s rugby tradition and the region’s ability to compete for Super Rugby winners status against stronger franchises.
Conference Structure Impact on Super Rugby Winners
The Australian conference regularly produces competitive Super Rugby winners candidates who challenge New Zealand dominance across seasons.
Teams like the Brumbies and Waratahs have proven Australian rugby’s capability to win championships during favorable seasons and against quality opposition.
The New Zealand conference features five franchises competing for consistent Super Rugby winners opportunities throughout each season.
This competitive environment ensures the best New Zealand rugby emerges from internal competition before facing international opposition in finals matches.
The South African conference expansion added franchises like the Stormers, Bulls, and Sharks to the Super Rugby winners competition.
Their inclusion created geographic diversity and expanded the tournament’s commercial and competitive footprint across Southern Africa’s rugby strongholds.
FAQs
What is Super Rugby?
Super Rugby is the Southern Hemisphere’s premier professional rugby union competition featuring franchises from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, and Japan competing for annual championships.
Which franchise has the most Super Rugby winners titles?
The Crusaders lead with 15 Super Rugby winners championships across three decades of competition since 1996.
How many Super Rugby winners championships have New Zealand teams won?
New Zealand franchises account for 25 of 30 Super Rugby winners titles since the tournament’s inception in 1996.
Who won the 2025 Super Rugby championship?
The Chiefs won the 2025 Super Rugby championship, defeating the Fijian Drua 34-31 in the final match.
When did Australian teams last win Super Rugby?
The Waratahs won the 2014 Super Rugby championship, representing Australia’s last Super Rugby winners title in the competition.
