Super Round 2026: Two ex-Crusaders step forward in 'extraordinary' haka return

Super Rugby’s Super Round wrapped up on Sunday, and after three incredible days bringing 10 teams together for five matches under one roof, there was one moment that stood out - and sums the weekend up perfectly.

During the opening match at Christchurch’s new One NZ Stadium, the Crusaders faced off against the NSW Waratahs.

But in a moment the crowd didn’t see coming, two players from the Aussie side stepped forward to haka back at the home team.

Pete Samu and Ioane Moananu returned the Crusaders’ haka, 'Takina te Kawa' - a special moment for both players, who previously played for the home side.

Samu had a stint with the Crusaders from 2016 to 2018 at the club’s former temporary Apollo Projects Stadium.

Moananu also called the scaffolding-built stadium home from 2023 until last year, before heading across the ditch to join Samu at the Waratahs.

This weekend’s match marked a special occasion for any and every player with ties to Christchurch, and for these two to return the haka made it even more meaningful.

One person in the Waratahs Instagram comments put it perfectly: “Once a Crusader, ALWAYS a Crusader!”

“This is why we love this sport!! 😍🙌,” said another.

“As a Māori, I loved this wero laid down from both Pete and Ioane towards the Saders,” a third added. “This is how a haka should be received and returned, as a wero - a challenge. Kia kaha e korua, kia kaha!”

A fourth wrote: “The blood is the blood… The roots are the roots… The proud is the proud…”

Someone who got to experience it just metres away was More FM’s Simon Barnett - and let’s just say he felt all the goosies.

“To say the earth moved would not be overstating it," he said. "I felt something within me. It was the most extraordinary haka I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve been to many All Blacks test matches - it was better than all of them.”

“There was something about the players, after everything this city [Christchurch] has been through, the way they advanced on the Waratahs, and then the Waratahs meeting the challenge...”

It was a strong start to a weekend of unforgettable moments and great footy at New Zealand’s newest stadium.