Edinburgh-bound scrum-half plays part in All Black's triumphant return to New Zealand rugby
Chapman helped Canterbury to an opening round win in their NPC match with Auckland as Mo’unga stole the headlines.
Scotland-qualified scrum-half Louie Chapman played his part in a thrilling opening round win for Canterbury in the 2026 National Provincial Championship season.
The 26-year-old, who has signed a contract with Edinburgh and will move to the capital club later this year, started the match in the nine jersey as they beat rivals Auckland 38-31 at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. It was a more familiar name to rugby fans who grabbed the headlines though, as experienced stand-off Richie Mo’unga came off the bench to score the winning try with the match in the balance at 31-31 in the 77th minute.
The 56 times-capped All Black was back playing for his province for the first time since 2023 having spent the past three seasons with Toshiba Brave Lupus in Japan. Canterbury’s previous four tries in the match had been scored by Tahlor Cahill, Dominic Gardiner, Corey Kellow, Jone Rova and Jamie Hannah with Chapman involved in the build-up.
Edinburgh bound scrum half kicks off final season in New Zealand with a win
Next up for Chapman and Canterbury will be a trip to the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin to face Otago who opened their campaign with a 41-14 win away to Southland, the biggest victory margin of Round One which has put them top of the league table. Elsewhere on the opening weekend their was a heavy home defeat for Riley Higgins’ Wellington as they lost 33-52 to Hawke’s Bay.
The centre is currently out injured having undergone shoulder surgery in preparation for his move to Edinburgh later this year. The 23-year-old is not expected to feature for his province before his move to Scotland which, along with Chapman, is expected to happen in November.
Speaking on the signings at the time, Everitt said: “We’re really excited to welcome Louie to Edinburgh. He has a huge amount of potential, but what stands out when you watch him is the maturity he brings – the control, the decision-making, the way he manages the game with tempo.
“Those aren’t attributes that come by accident, and for a player still on the right side of 26 who has developed in that Crusaders environment, they tell you a great deal about his ceiling. He will come in and challenge our existing scrum-halves, and that competition will make everyone better. He’s another high-quality addition to a squad we are building with real intent.
“Riley is an outstanding talent and this is a significant signing for Edinburgh Rugby. He has already proven himself at the highest level in the southern hemisphere – a player who was keeping All Blacks out of the Hurricanes’ starting line-up before his 24th birthday – and we believe the best is still very much to come from him.
“The fact that he has chosen to turn down a potential All Blacks future, and has rejected higher offers elsewhere, to come to Edinburgh tells you everything about his ambition to succeed in Scotland. We worked enormously hard over many months to get this deal over the line, and I’m delighted we’ve got it done.
“At 23, Riley still has room to grow, and I genuinely believe the best is still to come from him. Alongside guys like Matt Currie and Mosese Tuipulotu, we are building something really exciting in our midfield, and I know our supporters will enjoy watching this group develop together. I can’t wait to have him with us this summer.”
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