# 2023 Super Rugby Pacific final

The 2023 Super Rugby Pacific final was a rugby union match contested between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Waikato Stadium on 24 June 2023. It was the 28th Super Rugby final, staged to determine the premiers of the 2023 season. The match, attended by 25,000 spectators, was won by the Crusaders by a margin of five points, marking the franchise's twelfth Super Rugby title. Sam Whitelock was named "Man of the Match" in his 181st and final match for the Crusaders.

## Background

The Chiefs and the Crusaders finished first and second, respectively. It was the teams' first encounter in a Super Rugby final.
Both finalists had won a Super Rugby title, with the Crusaders being the two-time, back-to-back defending champions and holding the most title victories in the Super Rugby (11), with the Chiefs' last Super Rugby title being in 2013. The head-to-head results overall in the Super Rugby before their encounter was 27–19, with the Crusaders holding an eight victory lead. Six of their last ten matches went the way of the Crusaders, and, in 2023, the Chiefs won both fixtures against the Crusaders. The odds for the final were equal, with both teams not being considered favourite.

## Road to the final

Final ladder placings (showing top eight) :
| Pos. | Team | Season | Season | Season | Season | Points |
| Pos. | Team | P | W | D | L | Points |
| 1 | Chiefs | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 59 |
| 2 | Crusaders | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 48 |
| 3 | Blues | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 46 |
| 4 | ACT Brumbies | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 46 |
| 5 | Hurricanes | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 41 |
| 6 | Waratahs | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 31 |
| 7 | Fijian Drua | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 26 |
| 8 | Reds | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 24 |

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | |
| 10 June – Hamilton | 10 June – Hamilton | | | |
| Chiefs | 29 | | | |
| Chiefs | 29 | 17 June – Hamilton | 17 June – Hamilton | |
| Reds | 20 | 17 June – Hamilton | 17 June – Hamilton | |
| Reds | 20 | Chiefs | 19 | |
| | | ACT Brumbies | 9 | |
| | | 16 June – Christchurch | 16 June – Christchurch | |
| | | Blues | 15 | |
| 10 June – Christchurch | 10 June – Christchurch | | Blues | 15 |
| 10 June – Christchurch | 10 June – Christchurch | Crusaders | 52 | |
| Crusaders | 49 | Crusaders | 52 | |
| Drua | 8 | | | |

## Final

* 24 June 2023 17:05 NZST (UTC+12)
| Chiefs | 20–25 | Crusaders |
| Try: Shaun Stevenson 23' c Emoni Narawa 43' c Con: Damian McKenzie (2/2) 24', 44' Pen: Damian McKenzie (2/4) 20', 49' Cards: Anton Lienert-Brown 9' to 19' Luke Jacobson 26' to 36' Sam Cane 72' | Report | Try: Codie Taylor (2) 28' m, 73' c Richie Mo'unga 36' c Con: Richie Mo'unga (2/3) 37', 74' Pen: Richie Mo'unga (2/2) 9', 80+1' Chay Fihaki (0/1) |
* Waikato Stadium, Hamilton Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)
| Chiefs | Crusaders |
| FB | 15 | Shaun Stevenson | | |
| RW | 14 | Emoni Narawa | | |
| OC | 13 | Alex Nankivell | | 77' |
| IC | 12 | Anton Lienert-Brown | 9' to 19' | |
| LW | 11 | Etene Nanai-Seturo | | 60' |
| FH | 10 | Damian McKenzie | | |
| SH | 9 | Brad Weber (cc) | | 60' |
| N8 | 8 | Luke Jacobson | 26' to 36' | |
| OF | 7 | Sam Cane (cc) | 72' | |
| BF | 6 | Pita Gus Sowakula | | 50' |
| LL | 5 | Tupou Vaa'i | | 60' |
| RL | 4 | Brodie Retallick | | |
| TP | 3 | George Dyer | | 60' |
| HK | 2 | Samisoni Taukei'aho | | 69' |
| LP | 1 | Aidan Ross | | 50' |
| Substitutes: ||
| HK | 16 | Tyrone Thompson | | 69' |
| PR | 17 | Ollie Norris | | 50' |
| PR | 18 | John Ryan | | 60' |
| LK | 19 | Naitoa Ah Kuoi | | 60' |
| FL | 20 | Samipeni Finau | | 50' |
| WG | 21 | Cortez Ratima | | 60' |
| SH | 22 | Josh Ioane | | 60' |
| CE | 23 | Rameka Poihipi | | 77' |
| Coach: ||
| Clayton McMillan ||
| FB | 15 | Will Jordan | |
| RW | 14 | Dallas McLeod | 13' |
| CE | 13 | Braydon Ennor | |
| SF | 12 | Jack Goodhue | |
| LW | 11 | Leicester Fainga'anuku | |
| FH | 10 | Richie Mo'unga | |
| SH | 9 | Mitchell Drummond | 50' |
| N8 | 8 | Christian Lio-Willie | |
| OF | 7 | Tom Christie | |
| BF | 6 | Sione Havili Talitui | 57' |
| LL | 5 | Sam Whitelock | |
| RL | 4 | Scott Barrett (c) | |
| TP | 3 | Oli Jager | 77' |
| HK | 2 | Codie Taylor | |
| LP | 1 | Tamaiti Williams | 69' |
| Substitutes: ||
| HK | 16 | George Bell | |
| PR | 17 | Kershawl Sykes-Martin | 69' |
| PR | 18 | Reuben O'Neill | 77' |
| LK | 19 | Quinten Strange | |
| FL | 20 | Dominic Gardiner | 57' |
| SH | 21 | Willi Heinz | 50' |
| WG | 22 | Fergus Burke | 74' |
| WG | 23 | Chay Fihaki | 13' 74' |
| Coach: ||
| Scott Robertson ||
* Man of the Match:
* Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)
* Assistant Referees:
* Nic Berry (Australia)
* Angus Gardner (Australia)
* Television match official:
* Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)