Super Rugby is the flagship professional club competition in the Southern Hemisphere, and New Zealand has sat at its centre since the first whistle in 1996. Today the tournament runs as Super Rugby Pacific, bringing together franchises from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and the wider Pacific. This guide explains how the competition is structured now, who the five New Zealand sides are, how the format has evolved across three decades, and the simplest ways to follow every round from Aotearoa.
Key Facts
- Competition: Super Rugby Pacific
- Organiser: SANZAAR (run day to day by New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia)
- Teams (2026): 11 — five New Zealand, four Australian, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika
- New Zealand franchises: Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes
- Season window: February to June
- Format: 14-match round robin, then a top-six finals series
- Reigning champions: Hurricanes (2026)
- Most titles: Crusaders (13)
- New Zealand broadcaster: Sky Sport / Sky Sport Now
What Super Rugby Pacific Looks Like Today
The current competition is called Super Rugby Pacific. It launched in 2022 after the South African franchises left to join European leagues, and it is run under the SANZAAR banner by New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia. For a close look at the latest campaign, see our review of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Since the Melbourne Rebels were cut after the 2024 season, the competition has featured 11 teams: five from New Zealand, four from Australia (the Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force), plus Fijian Drua from Fiji and Moana Pasifika, which represents Pacific communities across New Zealand and the islands. The season typically runs from February to June — the 2026 edition opened on 13 February with the Highlanders hosting the Crusaders and closed with the Grand Final on 20 June. That timing clears the second half of the year for the mid-year internationals, including the Rugby Championship.
The Pacific identity is central to the modern competition. Fijian Drua, admitted in 2022, gave Fiji its first professional club side in a top-tier Southern Hemisphere league, while Moana Pasifika provides a pathway for players of Samoan, Tongan and wider Pasifika heritage. Both have added strong home crowds and a distinctive style, and they have made the league more representative of the region it is named after.
The Five New Zealand Franchises
New Zealand is represented by five regional franchises, each drawing players from its own catchment. The Crusaders have set the benchmark for the whole competition, but all five sides have lifted the trophy at least once.
The New Zealand Teams
| Franchise | Region | Home ground | Super Rugby titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blues | Auckland | Eden Park | 4 (1996, 1997, 2003, 2024) |
| Chiefs | Waikato / central North Island | FMG Stadium Waikato | 2 (2012, 2013) |
| Crusaders | Canterbury | Apollo Projects Stadium | 13 (most recently 2025) |
| Highlanders | Otago / Southland | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 1 (2015) |
| Hurricanes | Wellington | Sky Stadium | 2 (2016, 2026) |
The Crusaders, based in Christchurch, are comfortably the most successful club in the tournament’s history, with 13 cross-border Super Rugby titles — a tally that climbs to 15 if you include the two domestic competitions played during the COVID-disrupted 2020 and 2021 seasons. They won the 2025 Grand Final 16–12 against the Chiefs. The Blues (Auckland) ended a 21-year title drought by winning the 2024 crown, while the Hurricanes (Wellington) produced the standout performance of recent years in 2026, overwhelming the Chiefs 60–5 in Wellington — a record margin for a Super Rugby final — to claim their second title. Along the way the Hurricanes set season records of 113 tries and 745 points.
The other two sides have their own pedigree. The Chiefs, representing the Waikato and central North Island, won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 and have reached four of the most recent finals, even if the trophy has eluded them in that run. The Highlanders, drawing on Otago and Southland, are the smallest-market franchise but pulled off a memorable title in 2015. Between them the five teams contest some of the fiercest derbies in the competition, and those local rivalries often decide where sides finish on the ladder.
How the Competition Works
Super Rugby Pacific uses a straightforward league-then-finals structure. During the regular season each of the 11 teams plays 14 matches — seven at home and seven away — with two bye weeks built into the calendar. Every side meets four designated rivals twice and the remaining six teams once.
League positions are decided on competition points: four for a win and two for a draw. A side can also collect bonus points — one for scoring at least three more tries than its opponent in a match, and one for losing by seven points or fewer. Those results build the season-long standings, which you can track on the Super Rugby ladder.
The top six teams reach the finals. In the qualifying finals the sides are paired by rank — first plays sixth, second plays fifth and third plays fourth — with the higher-ranked team hosting. The three winners advance to the semi-finals along with the best-performing losing side. From 2026 that highest-ranked loser enters as the fourth seed and plays away, rather than dropping a seeding place as it did previously. The season ends with a single Grand Final, hosted by the higher-ranked finalist. You can plan around the full draw on our Super Rugby fixtures page, and read how the title match is decided in our guide to the Super Rugby final.
A Short History of Super Rugby
The competition has been reshaped repeatedly, and for much of its life the name simply counted the teams. Its roots reach back to the regional cross-border tournaments of the 1980s and early 1990s.
The South Pacific Championship, Super 6 and Super 10
The first transnational club competition in the region was the South Pacific Championship, played from 1986 to 1990. It was relaunched in 1992 as a six-team event nicknamed the Super 6, featuring three New Zealand provinces (Auckland, Canterbury and Wellington), two Australian sides (Queensland and New South Wales) and Fiji; Queensland won that year. In 1993 it expanded into the Super 10 as South African provincial teams and Western Samoa joined. Transvaal won the first Super 10 in 1993, and Queensland took the next two titles in 1994 and 1995.
Super 12 (1996)
When rugby union turned professional, the Super 10 became the Super 12 in 1996 — the first fully professional edition. It brought together the strongest provinces from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia and marked the start of the modern era. The governing body SANZAR was formed to run it.
Super 14 (2006)
In 2006 South Africa and Australia each added a team — the Cheetahs and the Western Force — taking the field to 14. Only two sides won the Super 14: the Crusaders (2006 and 2008) and the Bulls (2007, 2009 and 2010).
Super 15 and the Super Rugby rebrand (2011)
The Melbourne Rebels joined as a fifth Australian team in 2011, creating a 15-team competition. It adopted a three-conference structure and was rebranded simply as “Super Rugby”, dropping the number for the first time.
Expansion to 18 teams (2016)
2016 brought the biggest expansion. New franchises from Argentina (the Jaguares) and Japan (the Sunwolves) joined, along with a returning South African side, lifting the total to 18 teams across four conferences. Despite the common “Super 18” shorthand, the competition kept the “Super Rugby” name, and this was the first time it included teams from outside New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The field was trimmed back to 15 from 2018.
Super Rugby Pacific (2022)
After the South African franchises moved to Europe, New Zealand and Australia rebuilt the competition around the Pacific. Super Rugby Pacific launched in 2022 with 12 teams, including the new Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, before settling at 11 teams from 2025.
What Is SANZAAR?
SANZAAR is the joint body that organises Super Rugby Pacific and the Rugby Championship. The name is an acronym for South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby.
It was founded in 1996 as SANZAR — a joint venture of the South African, New Zealand and Australian unions — at the same time the sport turned professional. When Argentina’s union became a full member in 2016, a second “A” was added and the organisation became SANZAAR. Although the South African teams have since left the club competition, the alliance still runs the Southern Hemisphere’s leading tournaments.
Why Super Rugby Matters to New Zealand Rugby
Super Rugby is more than a stand-alone league; it is the main proving ground for the national side. The vast majority of All Blacks play their club rugby for one of the five franchises, and strong individual seasons are often the first step towards international selection. For fans, the competition is the best chance to watch the country’s leading players week in and week out, and for young players coming through provincial and school rugby, a Super Rugby contract is a clear marker of elite level. That link between club form and the national jersey is a big part of why each round draws such close attention in New Zealand.
How to Follow Super Rugby in New Zealand
There are several easy ways to keep up, whether you want live matches, quick updates or in-depth analysis.
Watch the matches live or on demand
Sky holds the New Zealand broadcast rights, and every Super Rugby Pacific match is shown on Sky Sport. Games can be streamed live or watched on demand through Sky Sport Now. Sky has also made selected matches available free-to-air on its open channel Sky Open in recent seasons, though the free-to-air line-up can vary from year to year, so it is worth checking Sky’s current schedule.
Follow the teams on social media
Each of the five New Zealand franchises is active on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, posting team news, highlights and behind-the-scenes content. Following your side is the quickest way to catch starting line-ups, injury updates and match reaction as it happens.
Check the official website
The official Super Rugby Pacific website publishes the draw, live standings, statistics, match reports and highlights. It is the most reliable place to confirm kick-off times and results.
Read trusted rugby news sites
For deeper coverage, established outlets such as RugbyPass, Rugby World and Stuff follow selections, tactics and results across the season. If you are new to the competition, working back through a completed campaign — such as our 2025 Super Rugby season recap — is a good way to get a feel for how a title race unfolds.
Sources
- Super Rugby Pacific — Tournament Format (official)
- Super Rugby Pacific — Past Winners (official)
- Super Rugby Pacific — Hurricanes claim the 2026 title (official)
- Super Rugby Pacific — Crusaders claim the 2025 title (official)
- Rugby.com.au — 2026 Super Rugby Pacific teams and fixtures
- Rugby World — Super Rugby Pacific: all you need to know
- New Zealand Rugby — New Zealanders to have more ways to watch rugby
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams play in Super Rugby Pacific?
There are 11 teams: five from New Zealand (Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes), four from Australia (Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force), plus Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika. The number dropped from 12 to 11 after the Melbourne Rebels were removed following the 2024 season.
Which New Zealand team has won Super Rugby the most times?
The Crusaders are by far the most successful franchise, with 13 cross-border Super Rugby titles, the most recent in 2025. The Blues have four, the Chiefs and Hurricanes two each, and the Highlanders one.
When does the Super Rugby season take place?
The regular season usually runs from mid-February to June, with the Grand Final in late June. The 2026 final was played on 20 June. This leaves the second half of the year clear for international rugby, including the Rugby Championship and the end-of-year tours.
How can I watch Super Rugby in New Zealand?
Every match is broadcast by Sky on Sky Sport and streamed live or on demand through Sky Sport Now. Sky has also shown selected matches free-to-air on Sky Open in recent seasons, so check its schedule for the current round.
What is the difference between Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship?
Super Rugby Pacific is a club competition contested by regional franchises. The Rugby Championship is an international tournament between the national teams of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina. Both are organised by SANZAAR.