Super Rugby Aupiki 2024 format: Extended pre-season, round robin and increased player payments announced

The Chiefs Manawa lost the Aupiki final to Matatū.

New Zealand Rugby and the four Sky Super Rugby Aupiki clubs have today announced a revamped 2024 competition format with an increased focus on player development.

Super Rugby Aupiki reflects on the competition being a crucial stepping stone between Farah Palmer Cup and the Black Ferns, with Aupiki translating to mean “the ascent to the uppermost realm”.

Among the changes is an extended round robin competition with a home and away format before a final, a longer pre-season training programme and player payments increasing.

New Zealand Rugby, Super Rugby franchises, Sky and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association worked together in developing the improved format as Aupiki continues to grow.

Each club will contract 30 players, an increase of two players per squad on 2023, who will take part in an eight-week individual preparation window before a four-week pre-season that will include two matches. Players will be paid during this preparation window.

The extended season format includes six weeks of round robin action (there were five weekends in 2022) before the top two teams play off for the title in a final. Matches will be a mix of standalone fixtures and double-headers with their Super Rugby Pacific counterparts.

With the increased time commitment, non-Black Ferns players who are contracted will see payments more than doubling to a minimum of $17,000 for the season.

New Zealand Rugby general manager professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum said the ongoing growth of Sky Super Rugby Aupiki was cementing a sustainable competition and providing a strong pathway for high performance athletes.

“We recognise that for Sky Super Rugby Aupiki to be the best on-field showcase for the women’s game we need to get the preparation right and are confident that the increased individual training and assembly periods will strengthen our players and as a result, the rugby they produce,” Lendrum said.

“A full home and away round robin will give fans the chance to see more of their favourite players in action and no doubt culminate in another exciting final like we saw earlier this year.”

With discussion between New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia progressing over the future of Super Rugby Pacific, there are hopes for the respective women’s competitions to at some stage enter some form of transtasman tournament.

“There remains potential in the future to combine in some way with Super W in Australia and that will continue to be explored. In the short term we are hopeful we will arrange some preseason fixtures with our transtasman rivals,” said Lendrum.

This format will be in place for the 2024 and 2025 seasons in the build-up to Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

Clubs are currently working through contracting players with squads to be finalised within the month.