The 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season will be the 27th season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
| 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Australia (5 teams) Fiji (1 team) New Zealand (5 teams) Pacific Islands (1 team) |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and knockout |
| Matches played | 91 |
Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby have today announced the match draw for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific tournament. The exciting new 12-team format will see the incumbent five Australian teams and five New Zealand teams joined by newcomers Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.
The 18-week tournament will kick-off on 18 February with the final to be played on 18 June. Each team will play 14 regular season matches comprising one match against each of the other teams plus an additional match against three of the other teams, with an emphasis on in-territory derby matches.
Each team will have seven home matches and each team will have one bye week in either Round 7, Round 8 or Round 9 providing a level playing field for all teams in the lead up to the Finals. The top eight teams on the table after the regular season will qualify for the three-week finals playoff.
Moana Pasifika will have the honour of kicking-off Super Rugby Pacific when it hosts the Brumbies on Friday 18 February in Auckland. The season kicks-off in Australia the same evening with the Waratahs hosting the Hurricanes in Sydney. The Fijian Drua will play their first match against the Blues who will host them in Auckland on Saturday 19 February.
The blockbuster first round will also deliver a classic southern derby between the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa champion Crusaders and the Highlanders at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch, and an Australian derby with the Force hosting the Rebels at HBF Park in Perth.
In an innovative move for the tournament Round 2 will feature a ‘Super Round’ with all matches to be played in Melbourne on Friday 25, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 February. The six matches, delivered as three double-headers across the three days, will all be played at AAMI Park creating a weekend festival of rugby in the city. The Super Round in Melbourne is being backed by TEG Live, Asia Pacific’s leading live entertainment company and is supported by the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria.
Super Rugby Pacific game will also embrace diversity with a Women in Rugby round celebrated in Round 3, a Culture Round in Round 6, and a Heritage Round in Round 12. The five Australian teams and five New Zealand teams will also square off for an ANZAC Round in Round 10 across the weekend of 22/23 April.
The post 2022 Super Rugby Pacific match fixtures revealed , Game Time appeared first on Rugby Daily News.
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