Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has paid an emotional tribute to his players after winning the Vodacom Super Rugby title on Saturday.

The Saders’ 19-3 win over the Jaguares saw Robertson became the first head coach to win three titles on the bounce, to go with the three consecutive titles he won as a Crusaders player between 1998-2000.

The triumph was also a record-extending 10th title for the most decorated franchise in Super Rugby history.

Reflecting on his team’s latest achievement, Robertson lauded the players for always giving it their all.

‘I get a little bit emotional talking about it. Look, I’ve got a championship winning team here, I’m not going to say I haven’t,’ he said.

‘I’ve got a great group, I’ve got a lot of All Blacks, I’ve got a lot of guys that are world class and my role is to get the best out of them and carry this on for as long as we can.

‘My job is to open the doors up for players, management, to all staff, the community, to feel like they’re a part of it. That’s where the energy comes from, that makes it really deep.

‘Sometimes I get a little bit wacky, things are a little bit different, but they stay with me and we enjoy the ride.’

In return, captain Sam Whitelock has credited Robertson for creating a thriving environment since replacing Todd Blackadder in 2017.

‘He’s done all right, hasn’t he? I think the major thing is, it was all here and he’s come in and challenged a lot of people to get better and grow,’ Whitelock explained.

‘Razor is prepared to have a go at some of those different ideas. We thrash them about, some of them we don’t take on board, but some of them we do.

‘It’s exciting, you get to training and don’t really know what you’re going to get sometimes.’

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