Blues
The Blues represent the three provincial unions in the top portion of New Zealand’s North Island: the Auckland, North Harbour and Northland unions. The South Auckland-based Counties Manukau was an original franchise member union in 1996 and 1997 and Thames Valley joined in 1998 for one season, before these two provincial unions were switched to the Chiefs, to be replaced by Northland and North Harbour.
The Gordon Hunter memorial is played for between the two sides in memory of Gordon Hunter who coached both the Blues and the Highlanders before dying of cancer in 2002. Since then, the trophy has been contested annually between the sides but in recent years has changed to when the current holders are playing at home. The Highlanders were the first team to lift the trophy in 2002 with a 20-13 win and have now claimed the trophy on 10 separate occasions compared to the Blues nine trophy lifts.
Head To Head
15 Wins
22 Wins
Results
1996: Blues v Highlanders, 51-29
1997: Highlanders v Blues, 28-45
1998: Blues v Highlanders, 41-22
1998: Blues v Highlanders, 37-31 (semi-final)
1999: Highlanders v Blues, 19-13
2000: Blues v Highlanders, 26-16
2001: Highlanders v Blues, 23-8
2002: Blues v Highlanders, 13-20
2003: Highlanders v Blues, 22-11
2004: Blues v Highlanders, 50-22
2005: Highlanders v Blues, 14-30
2006: Highlanders v Blues, 25-13
2007: Blues v Highlanders, 28-9
2008: Highlanders v Blues, 15-40
2009: Blues v Highlanders 26-6
2010: Highlanders v Blues 15-19
2011: Highlanders v Blues, 10-15 & Blues v Highlanders, 33- 15
2012: Highlanders v Blues, 30-27 & Blues v Highlanders, 20-27
2013:Blues v Highlanders, 29-18 & Highlanders v Blues, 38-28
2014: Highlanders v Blues, 29-21 & Blues v Highlanders, 31-12
2015: Highlanders v Blues, 30-24 & Blues v Highlanders, 7-44
2016: Blues v Highlanders, 33-31
2017: Blues v Highlanders, 12-16 & Highlanders v Blues, 26-20
2018: Highlanders v Blues, 41-34 & Blues v Highlanders 16-34
2019: Blues v Highlanders,33-26 & Highlanders v Blues, 24-12
2020: Blues v Highlanders, 27-24 & Highlanders v Blues, 21-32
2021: Blues v Highlanders, 39-17 & Highlanders v Blues, 35-29 & Blues v Highlanders, 23-15
2022: Blues v Highlanders, 32,20 & Highlanders v Blues, 25-32 & Blues v Highlanders, 35-6
2023: Highlanders v Blues, 20-60 & Blues v Highlanders, 16-9
Honours Board
Semi-finalists
2023
Finalists
2022
Champions
2021
Semi-finalists
2011
Semi-finalists
2007
Champions
2003
Finalists
1998
Champions
1997
