Finlay Christie: Scots-born World Cup finalist who helped end the Blues' 21-year title drought

Finlay Christie was born in the Scottish Borders and named after a Scotland captain, but every one of his 28 Tests has been played in black. The halfback from Peebles grew up in Pukekohe, won two national provincial titles with Tasman, came off the bench in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final and started the 2024 Super Rugby final in which the Blues ended a 21-year wait for a title. This is the story of a journeyman who found a home at Eden Park.

From the Borders to Pukekohe

Finlay Turner Christie was born in Peebles on 19 September 1995. His family's roots are in Peebles and Aberdeen, according to allblacks.com, and rugby was in the naming: 1News reported in 2020 that he was named after Finlay Calder, the former Scotland captain.

When he was seven the family emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Pukekohe, south of Auckland. As a boy he excelled at two sports. The NZ Rugby Museum's profile on stats.allblacks.com records that he was a New Zealand gymnastics representative, and credits that background with the agility and quick decision-making he brings to halfback. He was educated at St Kentigern College in Auckland, where he played in the top rugby side, and represented Counties Manukau at under-19 level.

Christchurch and the Hawkins Medal

After school Christie headed south to study in Christchurch and played his club rugby for the University of Canterbury club. In 2016 he won the Hawkins Medal as the best club player in Canterbury, according to his Wikipedia entry, and his form caught the eye of Leon MacDonald, then the Tasman coach. "I'd been everywhere, went up to Nelson, it all kicked off," Christie told 1News in 2020, looking back on the move.

Tasman

His provincial debut came in round one of the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup, against Waikato at Lansdowne Park, Blenheim, on 21 August 2016. Tasman won 24-19 and the debutant scored a try. He also came off the bench in that season's Premiership final against Canterbury at AMI Stadium, Christchurch, on 29 October 2016, which Canterbury won 43-27.

Tasman's breakthrough came three years later. On 26 October 2019, at Trafalgar Park in Nelson, Christie started at halfback as Tasman beat Wellington 31-14 to win the national provincial title for the first time. A year on, on 28 November 2020, he played every minute of the final against Auckland at Eden Park, a 13-12 win that made it two titles in a row.

He has also captained the province: provincial.rugby described him in July 2026 as a "former Mako captain". NZ Rugby lists Stoke, in Nelson, as his club, and Wikipedia credits him with 61 games and 50 points for Tasman.

Three Super Rugby clubs

The Chiefs signed him for 2017, and he started at halfback against the touring British and Irish Lions at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, on 20 June 2017, in front of 29,974 people. The Lions won 34-6, but 1News later reported that the match first brought him to the attention of Scotland.

He moved to the Hurricanes for 2018 and scored on his debut for them, in a 43-15 win over the Sunwolves in Wellington on 27 April 2018. After two seasons there he joined the Blues, his home region's team, for 2020, and made his debut for them against the Hurricanes at Eden Park in Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Auckland suited him. In 2021 he started all six of the Blues' games in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, including the final against the Highlanders at Eden Park on 19 June 2021, which the Blues won 23-15. He was the starting halfback again when the Blues reached the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders at Eden Park on 18 June 2022, which the Crusaders won 21-7.

The biggest night came in 2024. Christie missed most of that season through injury, but he was back in the number 9 jersey for the final against the Chiefs at Eden Park on 22 June 2024. He set up one of Caleb Clarke's three tries as the Blues won 41-10, their fourth Super Rugby title and their first since 2003, ending the longest title drought in the competition's history. Wikipedia credits him with 84 games for the Blues to June 2026, on top of nine for the Chiefs and 14 for the Hurricanes.

Scotland or New Zealand

Born in Scotland and eligible for Scotland, Christie was approached about playing for the country of his birth. Speaking to allblacks.com in 2022, he said an approach had come during the Covid period and nothing had come of it, and that he was happy to have stayed in New Zealand. When he made his All Blacks debut in July 2021, the Southern Reporter, a Borders newspaper, ran the story under a headline saying Scottish hopes had been dashed.

The All Blacks

Christie was named in the All Blacks squad for the July 2021 Steinlager Series. He made his debut off the bench against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, on 3 July 2021, a 102-0 win, and became All Black number 1196. His first Test start came against the United States at FedEx Field, near Washington DC, on 23 October 2021, when the All Blacks won 104-14. RUGBE's match data shows those were the only two Tests since the 101-14 win over Samoa in September 2008 in which the All Blacks scored 100 points, and Christie played in both.

His one Test try came a fortnight later, off the bench against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 6 November 2021, in a 47-9 win.

In 2022 he played nine Tests, seven of them as the replacement halfback. Two starts stood out. The first was against Japan at the National Stadium in Tokyo on 29 October 2022 (38-31). The second was against Scotland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on 13 November 2022. Before that match he told allblacks.com that a Test in Edinburgh had been on his list since he made the team, and that his parents would be in the crowd. The All Blacks won 31-23.

A World Cup final

Christie started the 23-20 Bledisloe Cup win over Australia at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, on 5 August 2023, and was chosen for the World Cup in France as one of three halfbacks. He came off the bench in four matches: the opener against France at the Stade de France, Paris, on 8 September 2023; the 73-0 win over Uruguay at Groupama Stadium, Lyon, on 5 October 2023; the 44-6 semi-final win over Argentina at the Stade de France on 20 October 2023; and the final against South Africa at the same ground on 28 October 2023. South Africa won the final 12-11, and Christie came home with a World Cup silver medal.

Starting again

New coach Scott Robertson kept him in the squad in 2024. When TJ Perenara was injured in the first Test against England at Forsyth Barr Stadium on 6 July 2024, Christie replaced him at half-time in a 16-15 win, then started the second Test at Eden Park on 13 July 2024. "Finlay has worked hard and earned his place in the starting side," Robertson said. Asked by an English reporter whether a Scot enjoyed beating England, Christie smiled: "Any time Scotland beat England, it gets a bit of a fist pump." The All Blacks won 24-17 to take the series.

In 2025 he was recalled as injury cover for the Rugby Championship. He came off the bench in both Tests in Argentina, at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba, on 16 August 2025 (41-24) and in Buenos Aires on 23 August 2025, and with three halfbacks injured he started against South Africa at Eden Park on 6 September 2025. That was Ardie Savea's 100th Test, and the All Blacks won 24-17. He was one of three halfbacks on the 2025 northern tour and played his 28th Test off the bench against Wales at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on 22 November 2025, a 52-26 win.

Across his 28 Tests the All Blacks have won 22, a win rate of 78.6 per cent. Six of those Tests were starts and 22 came off the bench.

Style and standing

The Museum's profile highlights the gymnast's agility and his sharp decision-making. Beauden Barrett, his halves partner at the Blues, told allblacks.com before the 2022 Murrayfield Test that he was looking forward to renewing their combination in black. In 1News's 2020 profile he was already described as one of the country's best performers in Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Where he is now

Christie was hurt playing for the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific in 2026. Tasman named him in their squad for the 2026 NPC, but the Marlborough App reported in July 2026 that he was recovering from treatment and expected to miss much of the season. He was not in Dave Rennie's All Blacks squads in 2026.

On 28 October 2026 the Blues named him in their 2027 squad under new head coach Jason Holland, alongside Taufa Funaki and new signing Nic Shearer at halfback. He turned 31 in September 2026.

Career at a glance

Test figures are from RUGBE's match-by-match All Blacks data. Provincial and Super Rugby figures are from Wikipedia, updated June 2026.