Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby have today announced the match draw for the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific tournament. The exciting new 12-team format will see the incumbent five Australian teams and five New Zealand teams joined by newcomers Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.
The 18-week tournament will kick-off on 18 February with the final to be played on 18 June. Each team will play 14 regular season matches comprising one match against each of the other teams plus an additional match against three of the other teams, with an emphasis on in-territory derby matches.
Watch the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season on Stan Sport, ad-free, live and on demand. Start your seven day free trial here!
Some of the new boys feeling the 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ jersey’s 📸🏉 (@GettyImages) pic.twitter.com/eBN0ZSOu8X
— Speight’s Highlanders (@Highlanders) December 9, 2021
Highlanders Super Rugby 2024 Schedule
The Highlanders will be heading to Hamilton, not Christchurch, to start the 2024 season. Sanzar has today confirmed a revised draw for the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season to mitigate the potential impact of border uncertainties.
- Feb 19 Highlanders v Chiefs, Hamilton, 4.35pm
- Feb 26 Highlanders v Crusaders, Dunedin, 7.05pm
- Mar 5 Highlanders v Hurricanes, Wellington, 7.05pm
- Mar 11 Highlanders v Blues, Auckland, 7.05pm
- Mar 18 Highlanders v Moana Pasifika, Dunedin, 7.05pm
- Mar 26 Highlanders v Blues, Dunedin, 4.35pm
- Apr 1 Highlanders v Crusaders, Christchurch, 7.05pm
- Apr 16 Highlanders v Hurricanes, Dunedin, 7.05pm
- Apr 22 Highlanders v Brumbies, Melbourne, 8pm
- Apr 30 Highlanders v Fiji Drua, TBC, 4.35pm
- May 6 Highlanders v Reds, Brisbane, 9.45pm
- May 13 Highlanders v Force, Dunedin, 7.05pm
- May 22 Highlanders v Waratahs, Dunedin, 3.35pm
- May 29 Highlanders v Rebels, Melbourne, 4pm
📢 Draw Announcement 📢
A revised Super Rugby Pacific draw see’s the Highlanders home season open against the Crusaders on Saturday 26th February!
📲 Don’t miss any of the action – 2022 Club Memberships available now#SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/B3TgtQBsNX
— Speight’s Highlanders (@Highlanders) December 23, 2021
the rights to stream Super Rugby Pacific Game
Sky Sports has been the long-running broadcaster of matches from the southern hemisphere’s big club competition in the UK, but its rights deal came to an end last year.
Australia’s Super Rugby pacific competition, which was won by the Reds last weekend, was streamed by World Rugby for free in territories where the competition was not being broadcast, including the UK and Ireland.
Now RugbyPass will follow its coverage of the Aotearoa competition by streaming Ocean Pacific matches through its OTT streaming service.
World Rugby’s digital streaming platforms have proven highly-successful for Rugby World Cup, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other international fixtures, and the partnership reflects the international federation’s ambition to be a world-class destination for fans.
SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC AT A GLANCE
Format:
- 12 teams: Moana Pasifika, Fijian Drua, Blues, Chiefs Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Waratahs, Reds, Force, Brumbies, Rebels
- 14 regular season matches = 11 round-robin matches + 3 derby [rivalry] matches
- One bye round per team (all byes in Rounds 7,8 & 9)
- 8 team playoffs format (QFs: 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5)
Total Matches: 91
Season Length: 18 weeks = 15-week regular season + three-week playoff series
Opening match: Friday 18 February: Moana Pasifika v Brumbies @ Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
Super Round Melbourne: Round 2, Friday-Sunday 25-27 February @ AAMI Park Melbourne Park.
- Moana Pasifika v Waratahs
- Blues v Highlanders
- Chiefs v Hurricanes
- Crusaders v Reds
- Rebels v Brumbies
- Fijian Drua v Force.
Themed Rounds:
- Women in Rugby – Round 3 (4-5 March)
- Culture Round – Round 6 (25-26 March)
- ANZAC Round – Round 10 (22-23 April)
- Heritage Round – Round 12 (6-8 May)
