Richie Mo'unga of the Crusaders in possession during a Super Rugby Transtasman clash against the Waratahs. Photo / Photosport
Richie Mo'unga of the Crusaders in possession during a Super Rugby Transtasman clash against the Waratahs. Photo / Photosport
Super Rugby Pacific will kick off a new era for the sport next February with a 15-week regular season and a refreshed finals format, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Rugby Australia (RA) have announced.
The 2022 season will be historic for rugby in the Pacific region with the introduction of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika who will join New Zealand's five franchises and Australia's five franchises in a 12-team tournament.
Delivered by the joint venture partnership between NZR and RA, Super Rugby Pacific will kick off on 18 February next year with an eight-team playoff series culminating in a final on 18 June.
Features of the Super Rugby Pacific competition structure are:
• 12 teams (in alphabetical order), being the Blues, Brumbies, Chiefs, Crusaders, Fijian Drua, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Melbourne Rebels, Moana Pasifika, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force
• Teams will play 14 regular season matches with each team to host seven matches Teams will play eight teams once and three teams twice with an emphasis on derby matches
• There will be one points table with teams ranked one to 12 based on competition points
• The top eight teams on the points table will qualify for a three-week playoff format Quarterfinals will be – 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 with the top ranked team playing at home
• Top ranked quarter-final winners will host the semi-finals, and top-ranked winner of the semi-finals will host the final
• 18-week season all completed prior to the July international window
Fiji Rugby Union will announce where the Fijian Drua's home matches will be played in the coming days, while Moana Pasifika will play their home fixtures primarily in New Zealand.
Super Rugby Pacific's two new entrants will play each other twice in the first two seasons with other examples where teams play twice to be determined by a seeding process based on 2021 results, with an emphasis on local derbies.
Salesi Rayasi in action for Moana Pasifika against the Māori All Blacks last year. Photo / Photosport
NZR general manager of professional rugby and high performance Chris Lendrum said: "We are entering an incredibly exciting new phase for rugby in the Pacific region. The transtasman rivalries are crucial to our sport in the Southern Hemisphere, and the existing Super Rugby clubs have built a wonderful history and legacy over 26 years.
"Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua will add an enormous amount of energy, skill and talent to the competition, not to mention a passionate support base. The Pasifika nations have added so much to world rugby over the years and this is an opportunity to enhance the standing of Pasifika rugby.
"Fans are going to see incredible skill and physicality, and the regular season and finals series will undoubtedly unearth the best side in the tournament."
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said: "We're thrilled to confirm the competition model for next year and beyond and want to thank NZR for their hard work and effort along with the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika for their patience, and the effort that has been put into their proposals.
"This is a game-changer for Rugby in the Pacific, and indeed, the rest of the rugby world. We have seen the brilliant rugby that Fijians play in all formats of the game and their inclusion will make this new competition one of the toughest in the world."
Highlanders CEO Roger Clark heralded the new competition as exciting and challenging.
"It is great to finally have a new super rugby format in place. Super Rugby Pacific will be an exciting and fresh take on the rugby we have enjoyed over the last 25 years. The stage is set for an intriguing five months of competition, I sense there is a real appetite among the fans, players and coaches for some fresh and challenging new experiences that Super Rugby Pacific will certainly deliver."
Highlanders head coach Tony Brown added: "It's good to finally have something new and exciting to look forward to in super rugby. The introduction of Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua will add some significant new challenges to the competition. The style of play, skill and physicality those teams will bring to Super Rugby Pacific will certainly enhance the competition as a spectacle; it would certainly be an exciting encounter playing those teams under the roof at home."
TJ Faiane of the Blues in action against the Rebels during this year's Super Rugby Transtasman competition. Photo / Photosport
Blues boss Andrew Hore said: "I think this competition structure breathes new life and excitement into what we all believe will be the best professional club competition in the world.
"There's 12 teams with two new teams which has the potential to be really exciting.
"And we are enthusiastic that we have seven home games for our fans. Our Operations team will be hard at work now looking at dates and venues to bring the season to life.
"The competition signals that we have a plan, it is bold, bright and full of possibilities. It is now full-steam ahead for the Blues family to get the season ready for our ever-faithful fans, all the rugby players in our provincial unions, our stakeholders and sponsors and our players and staff.
Blues head coach Leon MacDonald said this announcement has sharpened the focus for his team.
"We are enthusiastic about this news today. It only seems like yesterday that we finished but we are talking about assembling in about 10 weeks' time.
"We have reviewed our season and keen and ready for the club to take another step forward. It is going to be full-on for everyone at the Blues from this point.
"The players and staff will be fizzing now with this news today. The format has real potential. We have our big derby matches and we get the opportunity to travel across the Tasman, and I am sure our Australian opponents will be much stronger for their experience this year.
"Added to that is two new teams who will bring some flare and excitement."
