Super Rugby Pacific is set for significant changes in the upcoming season, featuring an extended 16-round regular season, Sunday afternoon matches, and a revamped six-team finals system.
The 2025 season will kick off on Friday, February 14, starting a week earlier than in previous years to allow for the additional round of matches. The new schedule includes family-friendly afternoon fixtures, with three Sunday games planned, potentially leading to more Sunday matches in the future.
Key details of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific format include:
– 11 teams will compete: ACT Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Fijian Drua, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, and Western Force.
– Each team will play 14 regular season matches, including seven home and seven away games, with two allocated byes.
– Teams will face four opponents twice, focusing on rivalries, while playing the remaining six teams once.
– The top six teams at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for a three-week Finals Series.
– In the first week of the Finals, the matchups will be 1 vs. 6, 2 vs. 5, and 3 vs. 4, with higher-seeded teams hosting.
– The winners of these matches will advance to the Semi-Finals, along with the highest-seeded losing team, dubbed the “lucky loser.”
– Semi-Final matchups will feature 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, with hosting rights again going to the higher seeds.
– The two finalists will compete in the Grand Final at the venue of the higher-seeded team.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley expressed excitement about the changes, emphasizing a focus on fan experience. He noted that the introduction of Sunday matches aims to make the league more accessible to families and highlighted the competitive nature of the new Finals Series.