Rugby bosses in Australia and New Zealand released a revamped schedule for the launch of Super Rugby Pacific on Thursday in response to COVID issues.
It was hoped the 1`2-team expanded competition could start in February free of travel constraints.
However, the New Zealand government’s reluctance to open its border without quarantine or self-isolation will mean Super Rugby Pacific will start life as two separate competitions hosted in Australia and New Zealand.
The competition will begin with derbies and Fijian Drua will join the five Australian franchises in the first stage.
CHECK OUT THE FULL NEW FIXTURE HERE
The opening round of the new competition will see the NSW Waratahs hosting Fijian Drua on Friday 18 February 2022, followed by Australian derbies with the Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels and Western Force v Brumbies on the Saturday night.
A local derby between Moana Pasifika and the Blues at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on Friday 18 February 2022 will kick off the revised draw.
The new schedule retains the same competition format announced in November with a full round robin and single points table but will see the six New Zealand-based teams and six Australian-based teams play their opening eight matches on different sides of the Tasman due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
All 12 clubs will converge on Melbourne in Round 10 for a Super Round that will feature a unique celebration of the ANZAC spirit and trans-Tasman fixtures will resume in Round 11 (29 April-1 May).
RA said in a statement that “family friendly afternoon kick-offs are a feature of the draw with 23 daytime matches in total.”
The revised draw maintains the same key elements of the original draw with each team to play a total of 14 matches during the regular season, 11 round-robin fixtures plus three additional rivalry matches which will see each team play a home and away series against three other teams.
Themed rounds celebrating a Women in Rugby Round, Culture Round, and Heritage Round will also remain on the schedule with confirmation of new dates and other details to be announced early next year.
All 12 clubs will still have their bye in either Round 7, Round 8 or Round 9 providing a chance for all teams to recharge as they launch their final push for a place in the Grand Final.
All 91 will stream on Stan Sport with Saturday night’s game simulcast free-to-air on the Nine Network.
Rugby Australia Chief Executive Andy Marinos said: “We’re pleased to be able to confirm the revised draw for Super Rugby Pacific.
“We believe these changes will allow us to navigate the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, while ensuring we maintain the integrity of the draw and the format of the new Super Rugby Pacific competition.
“It’s been a challenging environment over the last two years, but we’re thankful to our teams and our partners in New Zealand Rugby, SANZAAR and our broadcasters for their support as we worked through this process together.
“This is an exciting new era for Rugby in the Pacific and I would encourage all fans to get out and support their teams and sign up to catch all the action on Stan Sport.”
against the Waratahs on the same night.”
SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC AT A GLANCE
Season opener
Friday 18 February: Moana Pasifika v Blues @ Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
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 rivalry matches
One bye round per team (all byes in Rounds 7, 8 & 9)
Season Length: 18 weeks = 15-week regular season + three-week playoff series
Total Matches: 91
Playoffs
8-team playoffs format – QFs: June 3-5; SFs: 10-11 June; FINAL 18 June.
Super Round
Round 10, Friday-Sunday 22-24 April @ AAMI Park Melbourne Park.
Highlanders v Brumbies; Moana Pasifika v Force; Blues v Fijian Drua; Hurricanes v Reds; Chiefs v Waratahs; Crusaders v Rebels.
Australian-based team’s home and away rivalry matches
Brumbies
Force (A) Rd 1; (H) Rd 6
Drua (H) Rd 2; (A) Rd 8
Reds (H) Rd 5; (A) Rd 7
Fijian Drua
Waratahs (A) Rd 1; (H) Rd 7
Brumbies (A) Rd 2; (H) Rd 8
Rebels (H) Rd 3; (A) Rd 6
Melbourne Rebels
Reds (A) Rd 1; (H) Rd 9
Force (H) Rd 2; (A) Rd 8
Drua (A) Rd 3; (H) Rd 6
NSW Waratahs
Drua (H) Rd 1; (A) Rd 7
Reds (H) Rd 2; (A) Rd 6
Force (A) Rd 4; (H) Rd 9
Queensland Reds
Rebels (H) Rd 1; (A) Rd 9
Waratahs (A) Rd 2; (H) Rd 6
Brumbies (A) Rd 5; (H) Rd 7
Western Force
Brumbies (H) Rd 1; (A) Rd 6
Rebels (A) Rd 2; (H) Rd 8
Waratahs (H) Rd 4; (A) Rd 9
Joe King
Roar Rookie
I don't think the Oz teams playing each other softened them. I think that's just the difference in the teams from NZ compared to teams from Oz. I don't think the win/loss will be any different simply by Oz teams playing the NZ teams throughout the season instead of at the end. But we won't know for sure until the theory is tested. But I wasn't surprised at all by the win/loss in SR TT in 2021.
OtakiCraig
Roar Rookie
Damn right Wig, just like NZ, protect your people
OtakiCraig
Roar Rookie
Come on over, lie like that dick who came over for the AFL grand final. The joker who is being accommodated at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Keep our WA borders shut until these other states learn discipline and stay the fu ck at home
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
1589 new cases in Qld (29th) on top of 11,200 new cases in NSW and 3700 new cases in Victoria, all overnight. Can anyone say NZ Super Hub?? :silly:
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
An absolute ability to miss an opportunity and a lack of imagination, teamed with a pandemic has led to this. Australia should have built on their own comp.
James584
Roar Rookie
Very good Jacko. Have to pay that one, :stoked:
Jacko
Roar Rookie
From memory plenty have James.....Inc Abbott and Joyce plus plenty others LOL. The Jacko party would make it compulsory for NZ to hold the Bledisloe cup...Hehe looks like someone else has already legislated that ... :laughing: :laughing: Feel very secure that Im never going to go into politics James. :thumbup: :thumbup:
James584
Roar Rookie
Phew, that is a relief. Because you hold dual citizenship you can’t become a member of the Federal parliament of Australia. Imagined the ‘Jacko Party’. :laughing:
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Quade is actually a Waikato born lad. He was born in Tokaroa, about an hour down the road from Hamilton so if he had stayed in NZ he would probably have been a Chiefs player and I would probably have liked him. :angry: :crying: Has anyone ever seen Quade and I in the same room??? :laughing: Apologies for taking your post wrong. Hope you had a good christmas WIU!!!
The World in Union
Roar Rookie
No worries Jacko, my comment was meant to be taken in humour :silly: I thought maybe you were born in Auckland, in which case maybe you're really Quade in disguise :laughing:
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
:laughing: Intuitively, I knew day drinking was good for me!
scrum
Roar Rookie
I have explained the reasons several times- and the Kiwi teams are at a disadvantage but both RA and NZR have a responsibility to maximise broadcast income to support not only the salaries of the professional players but to invest in grassroots. At the end of the day if you are good enough you will win the comp. Even if you end up lower down the ladder if you cannot beat the teams above you your team then does not deserve to win the comp
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Scrum how the F is being a Aus citizen but being a Chiefs supporter changing my stance. Try doing your own thinking instead of just coat-tailing on World of Unions uneducated and totally incorrect post. He is clearly not clever enough to figure out that being born in the Waikato gives me every right to be a Chiefs supporter no matter whether Im duel citizen or not but you followed along blindly with his silly post anyway and even said Im varying my stance which you know to be garbage.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
As a Kiwi who lives in Aus WIU I am an Aus citizen and I am a NZ citizen. That was all explained last week too yet you failed to get that bit I see. I was born in the Waikato and will be a Chiefs supporter till the day I die. Its quite a simple thing.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
The Chiefs play the Saders and the Blues twice too Scrum so thats the two winners from last season. Reds play Rebels and Tahs twice and Brumbies play Force and Drua twice. Those are 3 teams I see going for the Semi positions 4-8 and I know who Id rather be playing to finish as high as possible. This favours Reds/Brumbies over Chiefs quite significantly.
Malo
Guest
Let me guess. The Crusaders win
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
They could do it, just do like the English Premiership comp does and keep playing while the internationals are on. But it won’t happen.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Certainly was the case last season, but it’s an entirely different comp this year and my argument was 1-2 Aussie teams could accumulate a lot of points early on in the first 9 weeks. You could have a few kiwi teams who are better sides significantly lower down the ladder than Oz teams. I certainly think this draw now gives at least 1-2 Aussie a chance to make top 4.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Yep. How many games will the Fiji boys win in the Aussie comp?
OtakiCraig
Roar Rookie
Nothing wrong with NZs COVID policy, they want to keep the death toll at 49 and their limited hospital resources intact. I reckon one more variant (or two) might downgrade COVID to like the Spanish flu is today (yes a variant of it is still about). Managed by vaccines and life back to normal.