Tikanga winner of the blue day of the Blues

The end to the Super Rugby season may have been disappointing for Blues fans, but veteran commentator Ken Laban said the final was a big win for Maori.

The end to the Super Rugby season may have been disappointing for Blues fans, but veteran commentator Ken Laban said the final was a big win for Maori.

The Crusaders snapped the Blues’ 15-game winning streak by winning the final 21-7 on Saturday.

Ken Laban says the difference was the southern team’s superior attacking pack which dominated the scrum and line-ups.

He says Blues head coach Leon MacDonald and Crusaders assistant coach Tamati Ellison bring a strong Maori influence to their teams.

“Scotty’s (Robertson) understanding of the importance of tikanga and te reo and whakapapa things is a big part of the success of the Crusaders, so other than the outcome would have disappointed Blues fans, for a whole host of reasons there something to be proud of,” says Laban.