As Moana Pasifika prepares to clash with the Fijian Drua in the opening round of Super Rugby 2026, former All Black Mils Muliaina anticipates that the competition’s recent law changes could greatly benefit teams that excel in speed and instinct. With the new season set to commence, Super Rugby introduces five key law modifications aimed at enhancing the pace of play, minimizing stoppages, and engaging fans more effectively.
The much-anticipated match between Moana Pasifika and the Drua will be one of the first to showcase these new rules. Scheduled for Saturday, this encounter may provide insights into how these changes will influence the dynamics of the competition.
In a discussion with Pacific Mornings, Muliaina emphasized the formidable challenge posed by the Drua’s home ground advantage, suggesting that the new laws might further amplify their edge. “The sun’s out, and you play at a time you are not used to,” he noted. “It’s humid, it’s muggy, but that’s really important… it’s a hard place to go and win, but with the Drua’s track record, it’s also a great way to kick off the season.”
The Drua’s renowned high-tempo and expansive style of play may be particularly well-suited to the updated laws, which are designed to keep the ball in play and minimize repeated scrums and stoppages. Muliaina summarized the intention behind the changes, stating, “It’s not to confuse people, but also to keep the eyeballs on the game rather than going, oh man, another 30 seconds of scrums… and before you know it, viewers are switching channels or leaving the stadium because it’s becoming stop-start.”
Among the five significant law innovations are the following adjustments: referees now have discretion on whether to issue yellow or red cards for penalty tries, accidental offsides and ruck delays will lead to free kicks, attacking players may no longer join the ruck after the referee calls “use it,” teams can pass into their half before executing a 50:22 kick, and quick taps can be taken within a meter of the mark.
These adjustments seek to foster continuity and varying tactics while reducing set-piece resets. Following a season where nearly 90 yellow cards were handed out, organizers are hopeful that a more discretionary approach will lead to fewer automatic send-offs and maintain a consistent 15-on-15 player count.
All Black and Highlanders lock Fabian Holland praised the changes for promoting smarter and faster play, commenting, “It speeds up the game, it brings a different way of thinking around how we play.”
For teams like Moana Pasifika and the Fiji Drua, which thrive on broken play and counter-attacking strategies, the early matches this season will be crucial in determining whether these law adjustments truly favor attacking rugby. The kickoff for the match is set for 4.35 PM (NZT) at Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji, promising an exciting start to the new Super Rugby season.
Leave a comment