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The Crusaders celebrate their Super Rugby final win over the Chiefs in Hamilton.
The Crusaders will kickoff the post Scott Robertson era with a couple of pre-season matches in Europe.
New coach Rob Penney’s first match in charge of the reigning Super Rugby champions will be against Irish club Munster, who he coached between 2012 and 2014.
The Crusaders will face Munster in Limerick or Cork on February 3, before meeting English side Bristol on February 9.
“The Crusaders are thrilled to be coming over to the UK to face some stiff competition away from home,” chief executive Colin Mansbridge said in a statement.
“New Zealand and Australian clubs have been working on the world club competition for years, so when an opportunity for Super teams to play northern hemisphere counterparts came up, it was just too good to pass up.”
Munster are the reigning United Rugby Championship title holders, having beaten the Stormers in May to bag their fourth crown.
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Crusaders No 10 Fergus Burke is set to face Munster and Bristol next year, but the Crusaders’ All Blacks aren’t set to travel.
Through Robertson’s relationship with former Blues coach and Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam, Bristol Bears academy member Andrew Turner helped the short-handed Crusaders out at prop the past Super Rugby season.
With the 2024 Super Rugby likely set to kickoff on February 23, the Crusaders will still face the Highlanders in the annual Farmlands Cup pre-season match after returning home.
It’s understood that match will likely be the team’s All Blacks’ only pre-season hit out, given they will be on leave and won’t travel to face Munster and Bristol.
Regardless, Lam was excited at the prospect of facing the 14-times Super Rugby champions, whose only previous match in Europe was in 2011, when they took a “home” match against the Sharks to London’s Twickenham arena in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes.
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New Crusaders coach Rob Penney will kickoff his tenure with a pre-season match against Munster, who he coached for two years.
“The Crusaders are the reigning Super Rugby champions, and we’re relishing the opportunity to take on the best club side in the southern hemisphere at what is sure to be a packed-out Ashton Gate,” Lam said.
Munster chief executive Ian Flanagan echoed Lam, calling his team’s matchup with the red and blacks a “ground-breaking” fixture.
“We hold a proud and rich history of playing touring sides, and I’ve no doubt next February’s game will be a special occasion for all involved,” Flanagan said.
Munster hosted the All Blacks in 2008, falling agonisingly short (18-16) of a famous upset, after wing Joe Rokocoko scored a late try for the visitors.
February’s fixtures are set to whet the appetite of fans eager for the world club championship to be established.
It has been reported the 16-team tournament has been agreed upon in principle, and could potentially kickoff in 2025 ahead of the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia, and continue to be held every four years after.
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