Chiefs – home games but spare the Steelers?

The Chiefs have chosen not to stop in Pukekohe next season. The Super Rugby 2027 schedule sees the Waikato-based franchise host just one home game away from Hamilton at The Bullring (aka Taranaki Stadium) where they will face former Taranaki landlords, the Hurricanes.

“We are so excited to be heading back to Taranaki,” Chiefs CEO Simon Graafhuis says. “The rivalry amongst fans in the Taranaki is huge, but we know our Gallagher Chiefs supporters will get behind the boys and make this one of the games of the year.”

The two franchises will square off on Easter Sunday, March 28.

Originally part of the Hurricanes’ region, Taranaki elected to switch allegiance to the Chiefs ahead of the 2014 season. For this reason, it’s likely many local fans will be backing the Wellington-based defending champs. In addition, unless the Chiefs recruit more talent from Counties Manukau, Taranaki will be closer to home for many of the players too.

“There is obviously a great contingent of local Taranaki players in the Gallagher Chiefs squad. Our pre-season game last year had a great crowd, and we’ve been keen on making this happen for a while,” Graafhuis says. “Having a draw that lets us explore regional options and get the team out to ‘Chiefs country’ is fantastic.”

While Taranaki was once ‘Chiefs country’, Counties began Super Rugby as part of the Blues franchise before deciding that loyalties lay further south in 1999.

Chiefs 2027 schedule

Round 1: February 13, 9.35pm Western Force v Gallagher Chiefs HBF Park, Perth
Round 2: February 21, 6.05pm Queensland Reds v Gallagher Chiefs Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Round 3: February 27, 7.05pm Gallagher Chiefs vs NSW Waratahs FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Round 4: March 6, 7.05pm Crusaders v Gallagher Chiefs One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Round 5: March 13, 7.05pm Gallagher Chiefs v Blues FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Round 6: March 20, 7.05pm Highlanders v Gallagher Chiefs Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Round 7: March 28, 4pm Gallagher Chiefs v Hurricanes Stadium Taranaki
Round 8: April 3, 5.05pm Gallagher Chiefs v Western Force One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Round 9: April 9, 7.35pm Blues v Gallagher Chiefs Eden Park, Auckland
Round 10: April 16, 7.35pm Gallagher Chiefs v Fijian Drua FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 11: Bye
Round 12: May 1, 4.35pm Gallagher Chiefs v Crusaders FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 13: May 8, 7.05pm Hurricanes v Gallagher Chiefs Location TBC
Round 14: May 14, 7.35pm Gallagher Chiefs v Queensland Reds FMG Stadium Waikato
Round 15: May 22, 4.35pm Gallagher Chiefs v Highlanders FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Round 16: May 28, 9.45pm ACT Brumbies v Gallagher Chiefs GIO Stadium, Canberra
Round 17: June 5, 9.35pm NSW Waratahs v Gallagher Chiefs Allianz Stadium, Sydney

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