Four on debut for Chiefs' first game of season

February 11, 2026
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Ultimate Rugby

Head coach Jono Gibbes has named four debutants for the Gallagher Chiefs opening Super Rugby Pacific match against the Blues at Eden Park.

Included in the squad, Gibbes also announced Luke Jacobson will return to his role as captain, with support from Tupou Vaa’i and Quinn Tupaea as vice-captains.

Kyren Taumoefolau will make his Chiefs debut after three years with Moana Pasifika. The New Zealand-born Tongan international is joined in the back three by the experienced Etene Nanai-Seturo and Liam Coombes-Fabling.

Kyle Brown, Benet Kumeroa and Tepaea Cook-Savage will get the opportunity to make their debuts from the bench in a 23 that includes seven All Blacks with Samisoni Taukei’aho, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea in the starting XV and Samipeni Finau and Cortez Ratima on the bench.

Tupaea is joined in the midfield by All Blacks XV centre Daniel Rona while Josh Jacomb will steer the ship with Damian McKenzie not considered after the birth of his first child earlier this week.

Gibbes said it was an exciting team to name and a fair reflection of the hard work put in by the players during the past few months.

For those on debut it was an exciting time. “When the team was announced there was a big roar for the debutants and there’s a recognition that it is a special time for them.”

Gibbes was looking forward to moving on from the preseason. “You always know that you haven’t had enough time to focus on every single thing. There will be some stuff that is highlighted by a very good Blues team – that’s the size of the challenge. It’s important for us that we fall back to what we have trained.”

And Gibbes was excited about being at Eden Park. “It’s a fixture that has brought the beast out in both teams over the years. There’s a long history of the red, yellow and black colours flying high at Eden Park so hopefully that is the case this week.”

The Gallagher Chiefs are looking to take over Eden Park, and remind fans that Chiefs Country extends to the ‘09’, encompassing provincial union Counties Manukau.