Revised Super Rugby Pacific draw 2022

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and rugby Australia jointly announced a revised Super Rugby Pacific draw 2022. On Friday, February 18, 2022, a sensational local derby match, which takes place between Moana Pasifika and Blues at Auckland Mt Smart Stadium.

• Moana Pasifika VS Blues Super Rugby Pacific 2022 game will take place at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland
• The teams of New Zealand and Australia will play the first eight games on both sides of the Tasman
• The Super Round will move to Round 10 to participate in the sensational Anzac weekend in Melbourne
• Full round robin, single points table, home and away games reserved

 On the same night, the competition will be played on Australian soil, where NSW Waratahs will play against Fijian Drua, whereas, Super Saturday will start in New Zealand where Chiefs will compete with Highlanders in Hamilton at 4:35 PM. The Crusaders will take on Hurricanes to Christchurch at 7.05 pm.

The new schedule maintains the same competitive format declared in November with a full round-robin and single-point table. However, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the six New Zealand teams and six Australian teams will play their eight games on different sides of the Tasman.

 All 12 teams will gather in Melbourne in the 10th round to participate in the Super Round, celebrating the spirit of the ANZAC in a unique way. The Trans-Tasman competition will restart in the 11th round (April 29 to May 1).

The revised schedule keeps the same key elements as the original draw. Every team will play a total of 14 games in the regular season, 11 rounds plus three extra opposition games in which each team plays a home and away series against three other teams.

The family-friendly afternoon start is a feature of the draw. There are 23 daytime games, 10 of which are in New Zealand. Themed games celebrating the women's rugby, cultural and traditional games will also remain in the schedule, and new dates and other details will be declared at the beginning of next year.

 All 12 teams will have their bye in the 7th, 8th, or 9th round, which provides a fair opportunity for all teams to refresh because they will make their final efforts in the finals. All 91 games are exclusively broadcast live on Sky, including the eight-team playoff series that will begin in the June first week.

Chris Lendrum, General Manager Professional Rugby & Performance at NZR, said that he is pleased to be able to provide certainty to the team, fans, and partners before the 2022 season.

"Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, we are still able to keep the integrity of the draw. The key elements of Super Rugby Pacific are still there and we are very excited. We believe in the complete round-robin schedule, super round, byes, themed games, and seasons Playoffs are crucial to revising the schedule.

"I want to thank the Australian Rugby team, all 12 Super Rugby clubs, and our fans and partners for their understanding, patience, and flexibility to ensure that the competition is completed and loaded in 2022. The season-opening match Moana Pasifika VS Blues is a historic event in Auckland, and the same night Fijian Drua will compete against Waratahs.

Andy Marinos, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Rugby Association said:

We are excited to confirm the revised Super Rugby Pacific draw. We believe that these changes will enable us to respond to the continuing challenges of COVID-19 while ensuring that we keep the integrity of the draw and the format of the new Super Rugby Pacific event.

For the past two years, it has been a challenging environment. However, we are grateful to our teams, partners in New Zealand rugby, SANZAAR, and our broadcasters for their support during this process.

 "This is an exciting new era in Pacific Rugby. I encourage all fans to go out and support their team and sign up to watch all games."

2022 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC Schedule Format

Season opener match: 

Friday, February 18:  Blues VS Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
 Format: 

12 Clubs: Rebels, Brumbies, Force, Reds, Waratahs, Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues, Fijian Drua, Moana Pasifika 

14 regular season games = 11 round-robin matches + 3 competitor games
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 – Quarter-Finals: June 3-5; Semi-Finals: 10-11 June; Final 18 June.
 
Super Round: 
Round 10, Friday to Sunday 22-24 April at AAMI Park Melbourne Park.
Brumbies VS Highlanders;  Force VS Moana Pasifika;  Fijian Drua VS Blues; Reds VS Hurricanes;  Waratahs VS Chiefs; Rebels VS Crusaders
 
New Zealand-based teams home and away rivalry matches:
 
 

Blues
Highlanders (HOME) Rd 4; (AWAY) Rd 6
Chiefs (HOME) Rd 3; (AWAY) Rd 8
Moana Pasifika (HOME) Rd 7; (AWAY) Rd 1
 
Chiefs
Blues (HOME) Rd 8; (AWAY) Rd 3
Crusaders (HOME) Rd 6; (AWAY) Rd 4
Moana Pasifika (HOME) Rd 2; (AWAY) Rd 9
 
Crusaders
Chiefs (HOME) Rd 4; (AWAY) Rd 6
Highlanders (HOME) Rd 7; (AWAY) Rd 2
Hurricanes (HOME) Rd 1; (AWAY) Rd 8
 
Highlanders
Blues (HOME) Rd 6; (AWAY) Rd 4
Crusaders (HOME) Rd 2; (AWAY) Rd 7
Hurricanes (HOME) Rd 9; (AWAY) Rd 3
 
Hurricanes
Crusaders (HOME) Rd 8; (AWAY) Rd 1
Highlanders (HOME) Rd 3; (AWAY) Rd 9
Moana Pasifika (HOME) Rd 4; (AWAY) Rd 6
 
Moana Pasifika
Blues (HOME) Rd 1; (AWAY) Rd 7
Hurricanes (HOME) Rd 6; (AWAY) Rd 4
Chiefs (HOME) Rd 9; (AWAY) Rd 2