More action, growing crowds and a new champions headline 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season

Super Rugby Pacific has celebrated a third-straight season of growth on and off the field, with significant achievements in match attendance, digital engagement and on-field entertainment highlighting a landmark 2026 campaign.

A continued focus on creating a faster and more exciting spectacle for fans helped deliver outstanding results, with total season attendance increasing by 11.7% from 2025.

Super Round in Christchurch attracted a record-breaking 73 187 fans across three days at One New Zealand Stadium, with all sessions selling out as supporters from across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands came together to enjoy the festival of footy.

Strong viewership results were achieved in New Zealand on the back of Sky's streaming platforms experiencing audience growth of 16% while Stan Sport's expanding subscriber base underpinned a 10% uplift in the competition's reach on the platform in Australia.

Digital audiences also reached new heights, with 13% growth in video views on Super Rugby Pacific social media channels across the regular season.

On the field, the competition continued to evolve into one of the most entertaining rugby products in the world.

Law variations introduced ahead of the season helped reduce stoppages and improve game flow, supported by the competition’s match officials, resulting in dead time being reduced by more than three minutes per match.

The faster pace translated directly into more action for fans to enjoy, with ball-in-play time across the competition increasing by 10.7% from 2025.

The attacking quality of Super Rugby Pacific was also on full display, with teams combining to score an average of 8.6 tries per game – a new record high for the competition.

The 2026 season delivered a compelling championship story, with the Hurricanes claiming their first Super Rugby title since 2016 while showcasing some of the most scintillating attacking rugby the competition has ever seen.

The Hurricanes’ electric outside backs Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby beat the previous record for most tries scored in a single season (16), with both crossing the line in the Grand Final to notch up 17 tries apiece for the year.

Other historic hoodoos fell in 2026, with the ACT Brumbies claiming their first victory in Christchurch in 26 years, the Fijian Drua notching their first-ever win in Canberra and first away win in 34 games and the Western Force’s seventh-place finish marking their best result in 12 years.

Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said the 2026 season demonstrated the competition's ongoing commitment to developing and delivering a world-class entertainment product.

“Three consecutive years of growth across key metrics tells us that Super Rugby Pacific is a competition that is heading in the right direction,” he said.

“Our ongoing commitment to innovation and new initiatives to refine both the on-field product and the fan experience off the field continues to deliver positive results.

“As we celebrated 30 years of Super Rugby this year, we had the privilege of enjoying some of the most entertaining and engaging attacking rugby on the planet.

“While we're proud of what was achieved in 2026, we're equally excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue to innovate and build our competition heading into a Rugby World Cup year.”

Meanwhile, Super Rugby Pacific acknowledges the decision by New Zealand Rugby to not approve the transfer of Moana Pasifika’s participation licence to any new party for the 2027 season.

We recognise this outcome is disappointing for everyone connected with the club, including players, coaches, staff, supporters, partners and stakeholders.

Since joining Super Rugby Pacific in 2022, Moana Pasifika has made a significant contribution to the fabric of our competition and we extend our gratitude to everyone who played a part in that journey.

There can be no doubt the Pasifika community has been a fundamental part of our competition for the last 30 years and our commitment to recognising and celebrating that community remains.

In light of this outcome, further details regarding the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season format will be communicated in the coming weeks.