Four key cogs of the Blues rugby machine, with nearly 150 caps between them, have all signed to extend their contracts with the club. Northland forwards Josh Goodhue and Tom Robinson, Auckland captain Harry Plummer and fellow utility back Stephen Perofeta have re-signed. Perofeta and Goodhue have extended to 2022 with Robinson and Plummer to 2023 by which time all could chalk up 50 caps for the Blues. The most resilient is the youngest, in 23-year-old Harry Plummer, who has the remarkable record of playing in every Super Rugby game in his three seasons at the Blues. He has started 14 times and ..read more

Proven front-rowers Alex Hodgman and Karl Tu’inukuafe will continue to help power the Blues pack after extending their contracts. This powerful pair form a formidable group of international props at the Blues that includes Nepo Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi and Marcel Renata. Hodgman, who made four appearances for the All Blacks in 2020 before being side-lined for much of his injured-hit 2021 season. The 28-year-old has already achieved 50 Super Rugby games, 42 of them for the Blues, although his super debut came in 2014 for the Crusaders going up against the Blues. The Auckland-raised prop will ext ..read more

The Blues believe they have the answer of how to keep their corporate and commercial partners fully informed in a timely and practicable fashion without clogging their inboxes. They are proud to be the first rugby union club in New Zealand to partner with international company Bundeling who have developed a global sports platform that will provide a one-stop shop for all information on the Blues. The Bundeling software platform will offer partners all Blues information in one simple app that will include news, competitions and event updates in a timely fashion. A major benefit is that the app ..read more

Eminent marketer, Tracey Evans has joined the Board of the Blues rugby organisation as a co-opted independent director. Tracey is currently Head of Marketing with The Coca-Cola Company responsible for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and has been with the company for 15 years since joining as Marketing Manager in 2006. She has a strong business background in marketing in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry and is responsible for both the strategy and execution of marketing plans, and working closely with stakeholders to deliver on this. Blues Chair, Don MacKinnon said his Board a ..read more

Are you a storyteller and keen sports fan? Blues Rugby is looking for a proactive, passionate and skilled Communications Manager to tell our story. Blues Rugby is an exciting, vibrant, and passionate club that is driven to bring our purpose of Blue Pride to life for our people and our region. We have a full-time opportunity to work as part of our Operations Unit, who is tasked with bringing to life our story. We require a creative, confident and excellent communicator to lead and implement our communications strategy. This role encompasses communications, public relations and media management ..read more

The coach who guided the nib Blues in their historic women’s game against the Chiefs this year, will take their reins for the inaugural season of Super Rugby Aupiki in New Zealand. Willie Walker, coach of the Auckland Storm in the Farah Palmer Cup competition, will guide the nib Blues in the inaugural women’s competition that will feature teams from the Chiefs, Hurricanes and a combined South Island side from the Crusaders and Highlanders regions. Walker joins a strong group of coaches named to head the Super Rugby Aupiki teams along with former Black Ferns Sevens coach Allan Bunting with the ..read more

The Blues brand will be better-placed to expand into the northern hemisphere after the Super Rugby trans-Tasman champions announced an official partnership with giant international retailer JD Sports. JD Sports is a $19bn athleisure retailer with over 2,600 stores internationally and will open its first New Zealand store when COVID alert levels permit. The Blues have signed a contract with UK headquartered JD Sports, who will become an official partner of the club, with branding on the back of playing and training shorts. Todd Hewitt, general manager of Blues Commercial, said the retail viabil ..read more

The Blues are delighted to announce that its principal partner, nib New Zealand (nib), will be the naming partner of the Blues Women’s team for the inaugural Super Rugby competition launching in 2022. This follows the recent announcement that nib has extended its relationship as front-of-jersey sponsor for the Blues men’s team for a further three years, which will take their association with the club to a decade. After sponsoring the Blues Women in the first-ever game between Super Rugby teams against the Chiefs earlier this year, nib was keen to continue the relations ..read more

While rugby in the Blues region has had more than its fair share of trials and tribulations dealing with the Covid pandemic, it may have thrown up an unexpected benefit for emerging talent. The Blues and associated provincial unions have been forced to cancel the October holidays Blues Region Under-18 Development Camp because of the Covid pandemic. However, it has opened up an opportunity for more young players to be included in a wider development initiative. The Blues now plan to stage a series of three one-day camps over three weekends in November, hopefully when the region is operating bac ..read more

A shared philosophy and experience have led to a new partnership between the Blues and invoice finance specialists Apricity Finance.   The company, established only eight years ago, has already expanded with several offices throughout Australia and in Auckland. Apricity Finance specialise in providing invoice finance solutions especially for expanding companies, avoiding cashflow pressure and positioning them to capitalise on opportunities.   Working with large businesses, organisations or government typically means waiting extended periods for invoices to be paid. Apricity Fina ..read more