South Australian Owen Potter, 21, New-South Welshman Felix Harvison, 18, and Queenslander Brendan Thorn, 21, have joined the club for 2025.
Thorn is the son of former All Black Brad Thorn, who donned the black jersey 59 times and also made 92 appearances for the Crusaders between 2001 and 2011.
Brad Thorn also had a lengthy rugby league career, playing 200 times for the Brisbane Broncos and representing Queensland in 11 State of Origin games, as well as three tests for Australia.
Brendan joins Christchurch after playing club rugby in Nelson last year, before returning to Queensland to stay with his parents and recover from injury over the off-season.
He said his father’s influence was huge.
“He’s always comforted me through – always had my back, backed me up in my abilities to play,” he said.
“I’ve always felt pretty confident around my footy.”
The Australian recruits all play in the forward pack – Harvison and Thorn in the front row and Potter at loose forward.
Potter is a bit of a journeyman – growing up in Adelaide and playing for Woodville, he’s also turned out for clubs in Canberra and Darwin.
He said playing in New Zealand had long been a goal.
“It’s the best thing you can put on your rugby resume.”
Harvison is in his first year out of Sydney’s Shore School – where he won the school’s first title since 1969 last year, scoring the winning try from a charged down kick in the final.
Unusually for an Australian, he dreams of playing in black.
“My grandfather’s originally from Timaru, so I’ve always seen the appeal of New Zealand rugby,” he said.
“It’s always been an aspiration to maybe make a rep team over here, even the All Blacks.
“New Zealand’s obviously the best at rugby, and you want to learn from the best.”
“They’ve been excellent. Obviously they bring a fresh look about the group.
“They’re not ridiculously big, we’ve got bigger guys in the team, but they’ve got growth to do, not just gym size, but just to become young men, really.”
A big reason behind all three joining Christchurch is the presence of the club’s new director of rugby, former Crusaders and All Blacks hooker Mark Hammett.
Hammett has coached the Hurricanes, Highlanders and Sunwolves in Super Rugby and most recently oversaw St Thomas of Canterbury College’s first XV.
“To be able to come and train under him, it’s a bit surreal.”
The trio will boost a Christchurch side that has won just two games in the last two years, last making the playoffs in 2022, with Sisson replacing Reece Allen at the helm.
Sisson said he hoped to have his team solidified in the top half of the table within three seasons.
“They’ll have highs and lows in that top part, but the long-term goal is to not be saying we want to make top six, it’s knowing that we’re always going to make top six. It just depends on where in the six we’re going to end up.
“ Our main goal (this year) is to get them to really believe in the future for themselves, that we can be a good team if we can stay together, and ride out the tough days, because there will be some teams that will do a job on us, just because they’ve got better players.
“But if we can stay in the fight for the close games, and get a few go our way, that’s what we want.”
Christchurch has also picked up fringe Crusaders Hunter Morrison, a lock from Hawke’s Bay, and Waikato pair Xavier Saifoloi (loose forward) and Aki Tuivailala (centre). Sisson said he doesn’t expect to see much of them, with representative duties getting in the way.
The Metro rugby season starts on April 5.
