Taniwha Unleashed

Enter the inner sanctum of Chiefs Rugby, where a unique club, steeped in Maori culture, transcends the sporting battlefield.  

Nestled on the banks of the Waikato River, in the rugby union heartland of Aotearoa, the Chiefs Rugby Club is a breeding ground for some of the biggest international superstars of the game.  For the first time ever, an Emmy Award winning documentary crew has been granted access to the inner sanctum of Chiefs Rugby, where this unique club, steeped in New Zealand Māori culture, ascends the sporting battlefield. 

Taniwha Unleashed offers a rare front row seat to the extraordinary highs and the dream-shattering lows of life inside the men’s and women’s squads across an entire year of the Super Rugby Pacific competition.  As the cameras turn to staff, coaches, players, whānau and die-hard supporters in Hamilton, their stories are revealed candidly and uncompromisingly.

The club’s blueprint for success this season will be rooted in their profound and unrivalled connection to Māori culture, providing a source of strength for every player both on and off the field. On every bend a chief, on every bend a Taniwha.

Co-Produced with Executive Producer & Series Director - Brad Cone
& Executive Producer & Director of Photography - Ash Dunn