Super Rugby schedules record 10 Sunday games for 2027
Super Rugby Pacific fans can start booking their travel plans in a revamped 2027 draw.
The Blues and the Queensland Reds kick off a bumper Anzac weekend in Brisbane, while more games will be played on a Sunday than ever before, with 10 fixtures on the schedule.
“It’s exciting times, that’s for sure,” Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley told the Herald.
“Still a while to go, but it’s nice to have it out reasonably early so that we can get people excited and get people signed up for their memberships hopefully.”
With the loss of Moana Pasifika to the competition, an even 10 teams will be taking part this season, something Mesley said did help with creating the draw.
“It means we’ve been able to expand the number of games we’re playing, which is excellent.
The Hurricanes will look to defend their Super Rugby Pacific title in 2027. Photo / Photosport
“And with one bye, which is in and around that Anzac Bledisloe, it certainly makes it a bit easier and also makes it a little bit more even.
“Whereas when we had two byes in every team and someone would have to have a bye each week, there were some complexities there that certainly needed to be navigated.”
One fixture which stuck out to Mesley was the Anzac game between the Reds and Blues in Brisbane, which will take place the day before the All Blacks’ Bledisloe test in the same city.
“The Blues and the Reds have started a bit of an Anzac tradition over the last couple of years, which is exciting,” he said.
“There’s going to be an influx of fans into Brisbane that weekend for the Anzac weekend.
“So the Reds hosting the Blues up in Queensland on the Saturday night ahead of the Sunday Anzac Bledisloe is just going to create an even better weekend up there and will give our two teams the opportunity to play in front of a big audience up there and continue their Anzac tradition.”
The Blues will play the Reds on Anzac weekend. Photo / Photosport
The CEO was also keen to mark the Chiefs match against the Hurricanes in Taranaki in round seven at the end of March.
“That battle for Taranaki’s obviously one that’s got a lot of history and a lot of passion between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs. So it’s great that the Chiefs are going back to Taranaki, their long-awaited return to Taranaki’s going to be very special.”
The expansion of Sunday games was something Mesley was happy about and he hinted this could be opened up even further.
“It’s a difficult one with only five games a weekend and us needing to make sure we are reaching as many people as we can on Fridays and Saturdays as well.
“It’s a difficult one, but we’ve increased the number of Sunday games over the last couple of seasons and last year we got some really good results from those Sunday games, both in terms of attendance and audience.
“So we’re really confident with them and we’ll continue to work around making sure they’re a success, but it’s a balance with five games a weekend and the complexities of the draw.
“For example, the Drua, who can’t host Sunday games, it just becomes a little bit prohibitive of having many ... more Sundays. But we hope fans back it and if they’re really successful, we’ll obviously continue to push for more.”
The 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season starts on Friday, February 12 with the Crusaders playing the Reds in Christchurch, while the Super Round will be in the same city, starting on April 2.
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