Super Rugby Pacific will see significant changes in the upcoming season, introducing an extended 16-round regular season, Sunday afternoon games, and a revamped six-team finals format. The 2025 season is set to commence on Friday, February 14, one week earlier than in previous years, to accommodate the added round of matches.
The new season schedule includes family-friendly afternoon games, incorporating three Sunday fixtures with the potential for more in the future. A total of 11 teams—ACT Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Fijian Drua, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, and Western Force—will compete in the tournament.
Teams will engage in 14 regular season matches, consisting of seven home and seven away games, with each team receiving two bye weeks. Each squad will face four opponents twice, focusing on rivalry match-ups, while the other six teams will be played once.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top six teams on the standings will move on to a three-week Finals Series. The first week will feature Qualifying Finals where the matchups will be 1 vs. 6, 2 vs. 5, and 3 vs. 4, with the higher-seeded teams hosting the games.
The three winning teams from the Qualifying Finals will advance to the semi-finals, along with the highest-ranked losing team, known as the ‘lucky loser,’ who will drop one seeding for the semi-final draw. The semi-finals will include matchups of 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, again with the higher seeds as hosts. The winners will then proceed to the Grand Final, hosted by the highest-seeded team.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley expressed enthusiasm for the new structure, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to enhancing the fan experience. He also highlighted the new Sunday games as an opportunity for families to enjoy live rugby more easily and mentioned the aim to build on this initiative in upcoming seasons. The new Finals Series format is designed to create competitive matchups while rewarding teams that perform best throughout the regular season.