Super Rugby Pacific 2026 Round 8 - Crusaders 69-26 Fijian Drua - 03/04/2026.

Photo highlights from yesterday's Super Rugby Pacific Round 8 clash between the Crusaders and Fijian Drua which was played at the Apollo Projects Stadium.

The fixture at Apollo Projects Stadium spelled the end of a 14-year partnership between the Crusaders at the temporary arena in Addington, a venue that was supposed to be a short lived solution after Lancaster Park was damaged beyond repair in the 2011 earthquakes.

Before the encounter their was much reflection upon the role the stadium played in the history of the team and the city which resulted in an emotional evening among fans and the club.

The venue in truth had passed its sell by date. It was time to move on from a venue that left many spectators shivering with hypothermia in the depths of winter, and drenched by rain for those not under the cover of the grandstand.

Another memorable occasion at the venues final fixture was the 150th appearance of Codie Taylor, the popular hooker who was accompanied by his wife and three children onto the grass before the game and was greeted by a haka.

The Crusaders gave their fans a memorable evening after racing into an unssailable 31-0 lead after just 24 minutes after 6 tries from Taha Kemara, Leicester Fainga'Anuku, Sevu Reece and Codie Taylor the latter of which both scored two tries respectively.

Hooker Codie Taylor, in his 150th match, was by far the man of the occasion scoring four of the Crusaders’ 11 tries. Teammate Sevu Reece also bagged a brace the best of which came after Will Jordan set up the winger with a sublime crossfield pass before racing in to tap down. Chay Fihaki also added a sublime try in the second half racing away from the Fijian Drua defence before tapping down.

Throughout the encounter the Crusaders were ahead 64-26 and had surged into fourth place on the competition ladder. The final moments were a largely tame affair as both sides emptied their benches however few would have left the old stadium, one last time, with any complaints that they hadn’t got a fair deal for their money.

Result:

Crusaders 69-26 Fijian Drua

Photos were taken for ZUMA Press

You can also view a selection of photos from this series of images via my social media pages respectively for more content social media handles below. If you are interested in my services for your upcoming sporting event, I have a range of sports photography packages which can be viewed via the package section.

Facebook - Natural Light Photography

Instagram - natural_lightphotogram

LinkedIn - Natural Light Photography