Super season

Super Rugby has undergone several radical changes in format and teams since its inception in 1996. This year, two of the competition’s 12 teams make their Super debut — Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika. The Fijian team is based in Australia and Moana Pasifika, with players from Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific islands based in New Zealand. The remaining 10 teams consist of five New Zealand Super franchises — the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders, and five Australian teams. The competition kicked off in mid

February, with the final played on June 18. The Chiefs were finalists in last year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa grand final, losing to the Crusaders. It was Clayton’s first year as head coach. He was appointed interim coach while incumbent Warren Gatland led the British and Irish Lions team on its tour to South Africa. However, at the end of the 2021 season, Clayton retained the head coach role, and Gatland was named director of rugby for the Chiefs franchise.

The 2022 Chiefs squad includes All Blacks Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick.