One of the biggest changes in rugby as it continues to get to grips with professionalism is the way players move from one club or franchise to another.

The Super Rugby season proper starts this weekend - for the Chiefs, it's time once again to earn some respect.

Super rugby is billed as a massive tri-nations provincial series. But tonight looks more like an event for sparklers rather than any whizz-bang skyrockets and trumpets flourish.

Young workaholic fullback Piutau is raring to for Auckland against Highlanders after recovering from a foot injury.

Chiefs midfielder Richard Kahui has put an end to the speculation and confirmed he is leaving New Zealand to play rugby in Japan.

During the ITM Cup, new Chiefs midfielder Bundee Aki would have had few troubles producing a skite tape to impress the coaching staff of the Super Rugby champions.

A good season for the Chiefs has often meant something relatively trivial like winning more games than they lost. Starting badly and finishing with a pointless roar was their speciality.

With the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises naming their squads today, APNZ looks at how each side stands heading into the 2013 season.

Hundreds of Chiefs fans turned out to cheer on the Super Rugby champions, the Chiefs Rugby team in a victory parade for the team in Hamilton.

Hundreds of fans turned out for a parade down Hamilton's Victoria St in celebration of the Chiefs Rugby team's win of the Investec Super 15 Rugby Title over the weekend.

Hamilton celebrated the city's biggest sporting occasion with a huge street party last night.