Crusaders rugby

In a statement issued to NZME, Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said cutting the jobs was an incredibly difficult process.

“We will not be commenting further as good people have been affected and their individual employment matters are private,” Mansbridge said.

“We would, however, like to acknowledge the immense contribution to our club from these individuals. This has been an incredibly painful and difficult process for those involved and we hope you will respect their privacy." 

The gathering, which included All Black first five Richie Mo'unga, is against the rules set out by the New Zealand government in relation to coronavirus lockdown.

In a statement the Crusaders said:

The Crusaders are aware of some of our players training at Malvern Park in Christchurch today (Monday).

Management have spoken with the players involved, all of whom live within walking distance of Malvern Park.

Mo'unga slotted four penalties and provided a deft chip kick over the defensive line that led to Bryn Hall's first half try in a stop-start match that never really got any flow on.

Blues counterpart Harry Plummer kicked two penalties for the visitors, who struggled in the set piece and did not threaten the Crusaders' line until Rieko Ioane crossed in the 71st minute.

The Crusaders moved to 53 points with the victory, 13 ahead of the second-placed Hurricanes, who have a bye this week

The two-time defending champions had trailed for much of the match as five- eighth Curwin Bosch slotted seven penalties for the visitors, but they managed to pinch the draw as they hammered away at the tryline for the final few minutes.

Codie Taylor and Jack Goodhue also scored tries for the home side, who moved to 42 points and extended their lead at the top of the New Zealand conference over the Hurricanes (32), who host the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday.

Following the March 15 terrorist attacks that left 50 dead and dozens more injured, after a gunman opened fire on two separate mosques, the Crusaders have found themselves contemplating their identity as a team. The team name is a reference to the Crusades of the Mediterranean that saw Muslims killed by Christians.

Started by fan Shane Cannons, the petition is directed towards the New Zealand Government rather than the Crusaders or New Zealand Rugby. 

The Crusaders are a "team that thousands of people around the world have loved for so long", Mr Cannons wrote.