The 2025 season of Super Rugby Pacific begins tomorrow night. The opening match will be an all-Kiwi clash between the Crusaders and Hurricanes in Christchurch at 5:05pm (AEDT).
Format changes
The competition has been reduced to 11 teams following the disbandment of the Melbourne Rebels in the off-season. While the Rebels’ collapse was met with disappointment by players and fans, the silver lining is the four remaining Australian teams have been strengthened with an influx of talented former Rebels players.
With only 11 teams, the regular season will see each side play 14 matches across 16 rounds. Every team will receive two bye rounds.
The finals series has also changed. This year, only the top six teams (down from eight) will advance to a three-week finals series to determine a winner.
Rule changes
There have also been some rule changes to the competition to improve the flow of the game. Most notably, the kicker’s allowed time to take a conversion has been reduced from 90 seconds to 60 seconds, referees will allow play to continue following non-straight lineout throws, and scrum halves will be given more protection when attempting to clear the ball.
Australian teams
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An Australian team has not won a Super Rugby title since the NSW Waratahs in 2014. The first Australian team in action will be the Waratahs, who are set to host the Highlanders tomorrow at 7:35pm (AEDT) in Sydney. After finishing on the bottom of the ladder in last year’s competition, this year’s Waratahs side features 13 Wallabies and is expected to make a strong showing under new coach Dan McKellar. Code-hopping superstar Joseph Sua’ali’i will also be making his Super Rugby Pacific debut after an impressive Spring Tour with the national team.
On Saturday, the ACT Brumbies are expected to get their 2025 campaign off to a winning start when they play the Fijian Drua at 2:35pm (AEDT). The Brumbies were the only Australian team in 2024 to make the semi-finals. Following that match, the Western Force will take on Moana Pasifika in Perth at 7:35pm (AEDT). The Force finished 10th last season and will be looking to improve on last year’s record. Wallabies lock Jeremy Williams will lead the side, which has been bolstered by nine Force debutants in this weekend’s 23-man squad, including Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch.
The Queensland Reds have been handed a bye for the opening round but are expected to be competitive after finishing fifth in their first season under coach Les Kiss last year. The Reds’ roster includes 18 Wallabies.
Defending champions
The defending champions are the Auckland Blues. The Blues will begin their season with a rematch of last year’s grand final against the Chiefs on Saturday at 5:05pm (AEDT).
How to watch
You can watch all matches of Super Rugby Pacific on Stan Sport.
