Chay Fihaki: from a relegation-saving kick at 19 to an All Blacks debut in Sydney

On the morning of 17 October 2026 Chay Fihaki was not in the All Blacks' match-day 23. Jordie Barrett's tight calf changed that: Fihaki was added to the bench, Will Jordan came off at half-time in Sydney, and the Crusaders back from Auckland became All Black No 1243 with 40 minutes to play. He finished his debut in the sin bin, and nine days later he was back in Christchurch winning a second straight NPC title with Canterbury. Chay Fihaki, 25, is now in an All Blacks touring squad for the first time. This is the story of how a schoolboy from Sacred Heart College in Auckland made it to the All Blacks by way of Christchurch.

Where he comes from

Lupeti Chay Fihaki was born in Auckland on 3 January 2001. He has Fijian heritage, and the Fiji Sun was following his progress before he had played a Super Rugby game, calling him a "promising Fijian utility back" in 2021. He has played for the New Zealand Fijians, the paper reported.

He went to Sacred Heart College in Auckland and played in its First XV. In 2019, straight out of school, he moved south to join the Crusaders Academy in Christchurch, and the same year he was picked for the New Zealand Under 20 team.

Canterbury

Fihaki made his Canterbury debut in 2020, at 19, and by the end of the season he had won the union's First Year Player of the Year award. His biggest night came on 15 November 2020, in the last round of the Mitre 10 Cup, with Canterbury fighting to stay in the Premiership. He scored a try in the 15th minute against Auckland at Rugby League Park, and in the 74th minute he landed the penalty that won the game 34-33. Super Rugby's website later described that kick as "a monstrous penalty", and the Fiji Sun put it at 50 metres. North Harbour went down instead.

He was also one of three players picked for an All Blacks Sevens development camp after the Red Bull Ignite7 tournament, the Fiji Sun reported.

He became a fixture in the red and black. He started at fullback in the 2022 NPC final, which Canterbury lost 26-18 to Wellington, and he played his 50th game for the province in 2024. He also took on the goal-kicking.

In the 2025 NPC playoffs he was Canterbury's goal-kicker. In the quarter-final against Counties Manukau on 12 October the scores were 15-15 after 80 minutes, and in extra time Fihaki scored a try in the 87th minute and kicked a penalty in the 94th to win it 23-15. He kicked five conversions and a penalty in the 43-19 semi-final win over Hawke's Bay, and three conversions in the final on 25 October, when Canterbury beat Otago 36-28 at Apollo Projects Stadium. Wikipedia's tally has him on 68 points for the season, the sixth-highest in the competition.

The Crusaders

Fihaki was the youngest player in the Crusaders squad for Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2021, and made his debut that season as Crusader No 246. The Super Rugby website said at the time that he "has got a huge future ahead of him".

His first title came in 2023. In the final against the Chiefs in Hamilton on 24 June, in front of 25,000, wing Dallas McLeod went off in the 13th minute and Fihaki came on in his place. He played until the 74th minute, and the Crusaders won 25-20, their seventh title in seven seasons under Scott Robertson.

In 2024 he started 12 of his 14 Super Rugby games. In March 2026, just after his 50th game for the club, he re-signed until the end of 2028. "I didn't think twice about re-signing," he said. "This club means so much to me and my family, it's a special place." He scored eight tries in the 2026 Super Rugby season, according to Wikipedia, and he is in the Crusaders' squad for 2027.

Barbarians, the All Blacks XV and injury cover

On 22 June 2024 Fihaki started at fullback for the Barbarians against Fiji at Twickenham, in a side that also included Sam Whitelock. The Barbarians won 45-32, Fihaki kicked four conversions, and the club's match report gives him a hand in three of their seven tries, two for Lachlan Boshier and one for Jonny May.

Three months later he had his first taste of the All Blacks. When Jordie Barrett hurt his knee in the 31-28 win over Australia in Sydney in September 2024, Fihaki was called into camp as injury cover for the Test in Wellington. He did not play. In November 2025 he toured with the All Blacks XV, starting at fullback in the 31-14 win over England A at the Rec in Bath and on the wing in the 45-21 win over Uruguay in Beziers.

Test debut in Sydney

The call came again in October 2026. Fehi Fineanganofo had been concussed and hurt a hamstring playing for Bay of Plenty, and on 8 October New Zealand Rugby named Fihaki as his replacement for the two Bledisloe Cup Tests. He was not in the 23 for the 50-19 win at Eden Park.

Then, on the morning of the second Test at Accor Stadium in Sydney, Barrett was ruled out with a tight calf and Fihaki was named on the bench. The All Blacks led 36-7 at half-time, Will Jordan came off, and Fihaki went on for the second half. Having used their bench and then lost another player to injury, the All Blacks played the last 12 minutes with 14 men. With four minutes left Fihaki was sin-binned for a head-on-head tackle on Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, and the All Blacks finished with 13. They still won 43-21.

Champions again

Nine days later he was back with Canterbury for the NPC final at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch on Labour Day, 26 October. He started on the right wing and kicked four conversions from five as Canterbury beat Northland 43-24, the province's second title in a row. At Canterbury Rugby's 2026 awards he was named the Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club Player of the Year.

The next day Dave Rennie named his 36-man squad for the northern tour, and Fihaki was in it, picked ahead of Emoni Narawa, 1News reported. New Zealand Rugby noted that he, Jamie Hannah and Saula Ma'u had all been injury cover before and were now in an All Blacks squad for the first time. "They have all shown fantastic form during the NPC," Rennie said of the newcomers.

Style and standing

Fihaki is a big back, 1.92 metres tall, who can play fullback, wing or centre and kicks goals. New Zealand Rugby's profile describes him as "equally at home" in all three positions, and as early as 2021 Super Rugby's website reckoned he could play anywhere from first five-eighth outwards.

Where he is now

Fihaki is not in the 23 for Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday 8 November (NZ time). He stays with the squad for the Tests against Wales in Cardiff and England in London, and the Nations Championship finals weekend in London at the end of the month. He is contracted to the Crusaders until the end of 2028.

Career at a glance

Test figures are from RUGBE's match-by-match All Blacks data to 17 October 2026.