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PROVIncial UNION & REGIONS
From 1996 to 1998 the Chiefs Rugby Club represented the provincial unions of Waikato, King Country, Bay of Plenty, North Harbour and Northland with Counties Manukau and Thames Valley falling under the Blues catchment.
Since 1999, the regional dominance of national team players no longer existed and the Chiefs Rugby Club represented the provincial unions of Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, King Country, Thames Valley and Waikato. With North Harbour and Northland falling under the Blues catchment.
2013 saw the Taranaki Rugby Football Union pave its place in the Chiefs franchise history as the club’s sixth provincial union when it joined after being affiliated with the Hurricanes since 1996.
In 2025 Ngāti Porou East Coast rugby union joined the Chiefs provincial union whānau The proud ‘Chiefs Country’ region is made up of: Thames Valley, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country, Taranaki and Ngāti Porou.
We are proud to represent these wonderful regions which all hold extensive track records of performing both on and off the field.
Click on the logos below to find out more about our strong provincial unions.
chiefs INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
The Chiefs International Academy is a future focused programme designed to provide players with a world-class development experience.
The Chiefs International Academy has four key pillars:
- Full Integration
- Meaningful game-time
- Individual development focus
- Relentless Development
Semester Dates
The Chiefs International Academy is split into two
eight week semesters which coincide with the
Super Rugby season.
Semester One
Monday 3 March to Sunday 27 April 2025
Semester Two
Monday 28 April to Sunday 22 June 2025
chiefs INTERNATIONAL
ACADEMY pillars
Full
Integration
Chiefs International Academy players are fully integrated into the Super Rugby squad.
Academy players take part in all aspects of the Chiefs training programme and have additional sessions with International Academy staff.
Meaningful
Game-time
Chiefs International Academy players have opportunities for meaningful game time at two levels within the Chiefs Pathway.
Chiefs Taua The Chiefs Taua is our Development team who play against other Super Rugby clubs.
Club Rugby Our academy players play for the University club in the local Waikato club competition.
Individual
Development Focus
All Chiefs International Academy players have a comprehensive Individual Development plan (IDP).
This IDP is individually tailored and covers the fundamentals of the players development:
- Rugby Tactical & Technical
- Physical & Nutrition
- Holistic and Leadership
Relentless
Development
At the Chiefs we believe that becoming a professional rugby player is attainable for most but it requires a relentless determination to self-improvement.
Over the course of your academy experience you will learn what it takes!!
WANT TO APPLY?
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
APPLICATION
You must be at least 19 years of age and have some form of high-performance or rugby academy experience.
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our partners
The Gallagher Chiefs and Chiefs Manawa have a wide and varied group of sponsors who are each well respected companies in their own industries. If you are interested in joining our great group of sponsors, we would love to hear from you.
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