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Super Rugby spreads its wings with revamped 2027 draw
Super Rugby Pacific has spread its wings and broadened its calendar in 2027 with organisers announcing an unprecedented 10 games will be played on Sundays.
Super Rugby has traditionally been played on Friday and Saturday while the NRL and AFL stay busy on Sundays.
The Hurricanes claim the 2026 Super Rugby final in Wellington. Their best is as good as any club side in the world. Getty Images
But after four Sunday games were well received this year, officials have decided to more than double those fixtures.
The season kicks off on February 12 with the Crusaders hosting the Queensland Reds in Christchurch, before the ACT Brumbies and NSW Waratahs renew their rivalry in Canberra later that evening.
Super Round will return to One New Zealand Stadium on April 2-4 after its wild success this year.
And the Reds and Blues will square off in Brisbane on August 24 before the Wallabies and All Blacks play the inaugural Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test at Suncorp Stadium the next day.
The top six teams will contest a revamped three-week finals’ series, with the top two progressing directly to the semi-finals and teams ranked third and fourth hosting sudden-death elimination finals.
“We’re delighted to deliver a 2027 draw that gives fans more to look forward to than ever before - Sunday footy, an epic Easter weekend, Super Round back in Christchurch and a history-making Anzac weekend in Brisbane,” SRP chief executive Jack Mesley said.
“Every team begins the season with a clear ambition to win the title. But the stakes will be even higher next year, with the opening half of the season shaping as a shootout for Test jerseys ahead of the inaugural Anzac Bledisloe and the Rugby World Cup coming sharply into view beyond it.
“Throw in all the traditional and emerging rivalries, and a new finals series where every game is sudden death, and there will be more at stake in every Super Rugby Pacific fixture, from the opening whistle through to the grand final.
“Over the last three seasons our competition has experienced growth across all key metrics, and we’re confident that we’ve delivered a fan-focused draw for 2027 that will continue to build on that positive momentum.”
The grand final will be played on June 26.
VIEW THE 2027 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC DRAW HERE.
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