Set to kick-off on 18 February 2022, the new 12-team Super Rugby Pacific competition welcomes the introduction of Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika who will join the five Australian and five New Zealand sides and will be delivered by the joint venture partnership between Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby. All 91 matches will be ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport, with select matches during the regular season to be shown on the Nine Network.
Each team will play a total of 14 matches during the regular season, 11 round-robin fixtures, plus the introduction of three additional rivalry matches which will see each team play a home and away series against three other teams. The top eight at the end of the regular season will then compete in a Finals Series, which will kick-off in the first week of June.
The regular season features a Super Round in Round 2 that will see all twelve teams gather in Melbourne for a Rugby extravaganza with three straight days of doubleheaders (25-27 February) at AAMI Park. The Super Round Melbourne is being backed by TEG Live, Asia Pacific’s leading live entertainment company and supported by the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria.
Super Rugby Pacific will also celebrate Women in Rugby Round in Round 3, a Culture Round in Round 6 and a Heritage Round in Round 12, where each team will acknowledge their unique history, which may include retro jerseys, flashback moments and local club recognition. The five Australian teams and five New Zealand teams will square off for ANZAC Round in Round 10.
See the full draw here.
The 2020 Super Rugby AU season was a huge success, with the Reds winning a thrilling Grand Final against the Brumbies. The competition has seen significant audience growth year on year with the launch of rugby on Stan Sport and Nine.
Stan director of sport Ben Kimber said: “After a fantastic start for Rugby on Stan Sport, we are looking forward to showcasing the new Super Rugby competition format. We saw interest and viewership of Super Rugby significantly increase this year on Stan Sport and Nine, and we expect this new twelve team competition, with the addition of both Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, to resonate well with fans. As Australia’s home of rugby, Stan Sport can’t wait to bring this new look Super Rugby competition to fans next year.”
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said: “It’s fantastic to be able to confirm our draw for the 2022 competition, and I’d like to thank our teams, broadcasters, New Zealand Rugby and SANZAAR for their cooperation and collaboration in getting to this point. Super Rugby Pacific is fresh and exciting as we look to provide fans a new game-day experience every time they go to a match, all at family friendly kick-off times. It will be a Rugby extravaganza at our first-ever Super Round in Round Two in Melbourne, with all six games at AAMI Park over one weekend. We will also host an ANZAC, Heritage, Cultural and Women in Rugby Round, as we acknowledge, recognise and celebrate the communities who make our game so great, and I’m excited to see this play out during match days. The draw also features a focus on rivalry rounds which excites us, so I’d encourage everyone to sign-up for a club membership, tune into Stan Sport and get onboard as we look to write the next chapter in Super Rugby’s history.”