This month the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes & Matatū have been facing off for the Super Rugby Aupki Tournament. Taupō has served as a great central location for this tournament of national teams who have played games in both Taupō and in Hamilton over this time.

We had the privilege of hosting the Blues team and their support crew, who were such great guests to have. We know that when sports teams travel, their minds are focused on the competition and we want to ensure the whole team is well rested, fed and ready for the competition all while staying in their own bubble. 

The team that stayed with us had one of our larger conference rooms converted into their team hub. It was ideal for the team as the conference room was large enough to accommodate everyone whether it was for a meal, stretching session or a strategy meeting. 

Traditionally this tournament was going to run over a few months however, due to Covid it was condensed to a few weeks with all teams staying in their own Taupō bubble. The Blues were amazing guests and it was a pleasure having them stay with us.

The name Super Rugby Aupiki reflects on the competition being a crucial steppingstone between Farah Palmer Cup and the Black Ferns, with Aupiki translating to mean ‘the ascent to the upper most realm’.

Super Rugby Aupiki is needed if the Black Ferns are to bridge the gap between them and other international teams, it is also a key tournament for advancing the women’s game in Aotearoa.

We want to thank New Zealand Rugby for choosing Taupō as the base for this tournament and for the Blues being such lovely guests, we wish them all the best!