A Super Round in Fiji is on the cards after Super Rugby Pacific organisers released its 2026 season draw.
Highlights include a ‘Super Round’ in Christchurch, local derbies in the first round and tweaks to the finals format.
The draw features 77 round robin matches in a 16-round regular season followed by a six-team finals series.
The season kicks off with a local derby round on Friday, February 13, in New Zealand when the Crusaders head to Dunedin to meet the Highlanders before NSW meets Queensland.
On Saturday, February 14, the Fijian Drua host Moana Pasifika in Lautoka, the Blues and Chiefs clash in Auckland and Western Force host the ACT Brumbies in Perth.
Other features see Moana Pasifika host the Chiefs in Tonga in Round 9 before all teams head to Christchurch for the Round 11 Super Round.
The round starts on Friday, April 24, with Crusaders playing the Waratahs while on Anzac Day (Saturday, April 25), the two capital city sides (Wellington Hurricanes and ACT Brumbies) meet as the Blues tackle the Reds.
On Sunday, April 26, the Highlanders meet Moana Pasifika and the Chiefs face the Drua.
Off the field, fan feedback has helped inform a tweak of the ‘lucky loser’ mechanic introduced to the competition’s Finals Series last season.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley says fan feedback saw them teak the six-team finals format.
This season, a ‘lucky loser’ was penalised one seeding but could still go through: that saw the top-ranked Chiefs lose a qualifying final but still hosted a semi-final game the week after.
Next season, the highest ranked losing team from the qualifying finals will go through as a fourth seed, giving up hosting rights as they progress.
“Overall, we’re really happy with the final series,” Mesley told Rugby Australia’s website, rugby.com.au.
“Clearly there was a lot of feedback about the double bonus of the lucky loser.
“We committed at the time to running it for the first time (then we’d) sit down, do the work, look at what worked, what didn’t, revisit the options,” he says.
“We felt a tweak was warranted to make sure that we’re not giving too much advantage to a team that loses. We engaged … and listened to the feedback. Everyone’s supportive of the change.”
SUPER ROUND TO FIJI?
Mesley is hoping to see the concept go to other locations as well with Fiji a long term prospect.
“We engaged a lot of different states and territories,” he says.
“We also had discussions with Fiji about potentially ‘taking it all around’. I think the best option to come out of that process was Christchurch (with) the launch of their (new) stadium which is going to be such an important asset for us.
“We really are interested in Fiji in the long term but that requires some infrastructure,” Mesley says.
“We’re really keen to work with the Fijian government to look at what would it take for us to run a Super Round up in Fiji to make sure that we’ve got lights, the right amount of change rooms, etc., particularly on the west coast where the bulk of the accommodation is.”
The 2025 season saw the competition experience a 6% increase in attendance despite fewer matches, a 27% rise in the streaming audience on Stan Sport and a 13% increase in viewers on Nine (both Australia) while New Zealand recorded a 19% increase in streaming viewers.
In a statement, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar welcomed the push for early season derbies.
“It’s good for the competition that we’re starting with a game of such significance,” he says.
“Round one … NSW versus Queensland. I don’t think it gets any bigger than that.
“It’s a rivalry that goes back more than 100 years (1882) and one that the fans will get excited about in 2026.”
> PLAYER MOVEMENTS: Australian squads named
> PLAYER MOVEMENTS: New Zealand squads named
> PLAYER MOVEMENTS: Moana, Fijian squads named
