Central Vikings Rugby Union was a New Zealand rugby union team that played in two seasons of the NPC from 1997-1998. The team featured current and future All Blacks, as well as a former All Black in coach Frank Oliver. With the announcement that New Zealand might receive a 6th Super Franchise in the SANZAR Super Rugby competition beginning 2016, the Hawke's Bay union has announced its interest in forming this franchise together with Manawatu therefore effectively resurrecting the Central Vikings brand as a Super Rugby franchise, alhtough this never came to fruition and instead the expansion consisted of the Southern Kings, the Argentinian based Jaguares and the Japan based Sunwolves.