Super Rugby Pacific delivered another gripping campaign in 2025, and this page breaks down exactly how the season played out from the February kick-off to the June decider. You will find the confirmed champions, the full finals results, the final standings, the 11 competing teams, the 2025 law variations and the season’s award winners — all verified against official sources. For background on the wider competition, see our guide to Super Rugby in New Zealand.
Quick Facts
- Competition: Super Rugby Pacific (30th season)
- Dates: 14 February – 21 June 2025
- Teams: 11 (5 NZ, 4 Australia, Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika)
- Regular season: 16 rounds, 14 matches per team, 77 fixtures
- Finals: six-team series with a “lucky loser”
- Champions: Crusaders (13th title), beat the Chiefs 16-12
- Grand final venue: Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
- Player of the Year: Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)
How the 2025 season was set up
The 2025 competition was the 30th season of the top-tier southern-hemisphere club competition and the fourth run under the Super Rugby Pacific banner. It featured teams from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and a Pacific Islands franchise, running from 14 February to 21 June 2025.
The Blues entered as defending champions after winning the 2024 title. The 2025 regular season was played over 16 rounds, with a revamped six-team finals series replacing the previous eight-team knockout. Beyond the results, clubs continued to push community engagement, youth pathways and match-day experiences designed to grow the game across the region.
The 11 teams
The competition ran with 11 teams in 2025, one fewer than 2024 after the Melbourne Rebels were removed on financial grounds. The line-up was:
- New Zealand (5): Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Hurricanes and Highlanders.
- Australia (4): ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force.
- Fiji (1): Fijian Drua.
- Pacific (1): Moana Pasifika, representing Samoa, Tonga and the wider Pacific.
The competition does not use conference divisions. Instead, all 11 teams play in a single round-robin format with extra rivalry match-ups weighted into the draw.
Format and fixtures
Each team played 14 regular-season matches — seven at home and seven away — with two byes across the campaign. Teams met four opponents twice (a focus on established rivalries) and the remaining six once. That produced 77 round-robin fixtures before the finals, and 83 matches in total once the playoffs were added.
The draw again leaned into themed and rivalry rounds, prime-time weekend slots and derbies to keep fans engaged from February through to the decider. The season opened on Friday 14 February 2025 with the Crusaders hosting the Hurricanes in Christchurch.
Venues and stadiums
Matches were staged at grounds across New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. Key New Zealand venues included Eden Park in Auckland (the country’s largest stadium), Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton, Sky Stadium in Wellington and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
In Australia, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Allianz Stadium in Sydney, GIO Stadium in Canberra and HBF Park in Perth hosted the four franchises. The Fijian Drua split their home games between HFC Bank Stadium in Suva and Churchill Park in Lautoka, while Moana Pasifika played their home matches in Auckland. There is no fixed grand-final venue — the decider is hosted by the highest-ranked surviving team.
Regular-season standings
The Chiefs topped the table at the end of the round-robin, edging the Crusaders for the No. 1 seed and home advantage through the finals. The top six qualified for the playoffs:
| Pos | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs | 51 |
| 2 | Crusaders | 49 |
| 3 | Brumbies | 44 |
| 4 | Hurricanes | 39 |
| 5 | Reds | 38 |
| 6 | Blues | 33 |
The Highlanders, Western Force, Waratahs, Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua missed out on the finals.
Finals series explained
The finals were trimmed from an eight-team knockout to a six-team format in 2025. The top six qualified, with the higher seed hosting each qualifying final: 1st v 6th, 2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th. The three winners advanced to the semifinals, joined by the highest-ranked losing team as a “lucky loser” — a mechanism that rewards regular-season table position.
That is exactly how it played out: the top-seeded Chiefs lost their qualifying final but returned as the best-ranked loser, then went all the way to the decider. For a closer look at the title match itself, see our dedicated Super Rugby final page.
Finals Series Results
| Stage | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying final | Crusaders v Reds | 32–12 |
| Qualifying final | Chiefs v Blues | 19–20 |
| Qualifying final | Brumbies v Hurricanes | 35–28 |
| Semifinal | Crusaders v Blues | 21–14 |
| Semifinal | Chiefs v Brumbies | 37–17 |
| Grand final | Crusaders v Chiefs | 16–12 |
Grand final: Crusaders v Chiefs
The Crusaders won the 2025 title with a tense 16-12 victory over the Chiefs at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday 21 June 2025. It was the franchise’s 13th Super Rugby crown and a first for second-year head coach Rob Penney, who took over the reins after Scott Robertson moved to the All Blacks.
Hooker Codie Taylor crossed for the only try of a tight, low-scoring final, with Rivez Reihana contributing the bulk of the points from the tee. The Chiefs pressed hard but could not break a Crusaders defence that extended the club’s remarkable home playoff record. The result confirmed a rapid turnaround for the Crusaders after a difficult 2024 season.
Awards and standout performers
Individual honours were recognised throughout the season, including one of the competition’s most prestigious awards. Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea was named the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year, sealing the medal with two rounds to spare after a dominant campaign on both sides of the ball.
- Player of the Year: Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika).
- Top try-scorer: Carlo Tizzano (Western Force), 13 tries.
- Top points-scorer: Damian McKenzie (Chiefs), 209 points.
Player of the Match awards were also handed out in every fixture, recognising the standout on-field performance of the day.
Law variations used in 2025
Super Rugby Pacific again trialled law innovations aimed at faster, cleaner rugby. The main changes for 2025 were:
- 60-second kicks: players had 60 seconds (down from 90) to take conversions and penalty goals.
- Lineout throw-ins: if a not-straight throw was uncontested, play continued rather than stopping.
- Halfback protection: extra safeguards for the scrum-half at the ruck, maul and scrum, including a one-metre no-target zone.
- Super Point: the rebranded Golden Point extra time, where the team that scored the first try in regulation chose to kick off or receive.
- 20-minute red card: a player red-carded for non-deliberate, low-danger foul play could be replaced after 20 minutes.
- TMO limits: the television match official intervened unprompted only for missed serious foul play or a clear infringement leading to a try.
If you are curious how officiating technology is evolving more broadly, our explainer on goal-line technology in rugby covers the smart ball and TMO tools in detail.
Where to watch Super Rugby Pacific
In New Zealand, Super Rugby Pacific is broadcast live by Sky, the competition’s long-standing local partner. Australian viewers watch via Stan Sport (streaming) with free-to-air coverage on the Nine Network, while fans in the United States can follow matches through FloRugby. Tickets for live games are sold through official team sites and venue box offices. To keep following the season strategically, the Super Rugby Fantasy game is a free way to stay engaged with team news and form.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Super Rugby Pacific 2025?
The Crusaders won the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title, beating the Chiefs 16-12 in the grand final at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on 21 June 2025. It was the club’s 13th Super Rugby championship.
When did Super Rugby 2025 start and finish?
The regular season kicked off on Friday 14 February 2025 with the Crusaders hosting the Hurricanes, ran across 16 rounds, and concluded with the grand final on Saturday 21 June 2025.
Which teams competed in Super Rugby Pacific 2025?
Eleven teams took part: five New Zealand franchises (Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Highlanders), four Australian sides (Brumbies, Waratahs, Reds, Western Force), the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika. The Melbourne Rebels were removed from the competition ahead of the season.
How does the six-team finals format work?
The top six teams qualify. Qualifying finals are 1st v 6th, 2nd v 5th and 3rd v 4th, with the higher seed at home. The three winners reach the semifinals, along with the highest-ranked losing team as a lucky loser. That is how the top-seeded Chiefs reached the 2025 final despite losing their qualifying final.
Who won the individual awards in 2025?
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea was crowned the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year. Carlo Tizzano of the Western Force was the top try-scorer with 13 tries, and the Chiefs’ Damian McKenzie led the points-scoring with 209.