Super Rugby Pacific unveils new 2027 format as Drua face longer road to finals

Fijian Drua will face a longer and more demanding Super Rugby Pacific season in 2027 after organisers unveiled a revamped competition designed to make every match count.

The competition will kick off on 12 February and feature 10 teams with each side playing 16 regular-season matches across an expanded 17-week season, two more than in 2026.

The revamped competition also marks the first Super Rugby Pacific season without Moana Pasifika.

The Auckland-based club will not feature in 2027 because of financial challenges, leaving the Fijian Drua as the competition's only Pacific team.

The biggest change comes at the business end of the season.

While the top six teams will still qualify for the playoffs, only the teams finishing first and second on the ladder will earn a direct place in the semi-finals and a week off.

The Hurricanes celebrate after defeating the Chiefs 60-5 to win the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific title. Photo/Photosport/Kerry Marshall

Teams finishing third and fourth will instead host sudden-death elimination finals against the fifth and sixth-placed teams. The winners travel to face the top two in the semi-finals.

The new structure places even greater value on finishing near the top of the table and makes every regular-season result more important in the race for the title.

Another major feature of the 2027 season will be the inaugural Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test - the Australia and New Zealand squads to be announced after Round Nine.

The 2027 Super Rugby Pacific competition will feature 10 teams after Moana Pasifika's withdrawal because of financial challenges, leaving the Fijian Drua as the competition's only Pacific representative. Photo/Photosport/Kerry Marshall/file

That effectively turns the opening half of the season into a race for national selection and adds another layer of pressure for players hoping to earn Test honours.

In a statement, Jack Mesley, Super Rugby Pacific Chief Executive, said the changes were designed to make the most of the competition window while giving fans more rugby.

"We're delighted to have developed a structure that pushes the limits of our competition window to deliver more games and give every fan more opportunities to see their favourite teams in action," Mesley said.

He said the revamped finals series would make ladder positions more valuable than ever.

"At the same time our new-look Finals Series ensures teams will be more desperate than ever to finish in the top two to secure a week off, and the top four to host a home Final, while every Finals game will be a genuine do-or-die contest on the road to the championship."

Mesley said the addition of the Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup would also lift the intensity throughout the opening rounds.

"The introduction of the Anzac Bledisloe to our calendar will help ensure every match means more, with Test jerseys up for grabs from the moment we kick off in February."

After the success of Super Round in 2026, organisers said they were also working to keep the event as part of next season's calendar.

The full 2027 draw is expected to be released in the coming weeks with the competition beginning on 12 February and the Grand Final scheduled for 26 June.