Super Rugby shake-up with Pacific flavour confirmed

Rugby Australia has reached an statement with their New Zealand counterparts for a caller 12-team contention to footwear disconnected successful February.

The 91-match competition, to beryllium broadcast unrecorded and ad-free connected Stan Sport, volition pit 5 teams from Australia with 5 from New Zealand, arsenic good arsenic Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.

Watch each lucifer of the Bledisloe Cup and The Rugby Championship with live, ad-free and on-demand sum connected Stan Sport

Patrick Tuipulotu of the Blues holds up the trophy pursuing the Super Rugby trans-Tasman final. (Getty)

Each squad volition person 7 location matches successful the 14-game regular season, which volition spot them play 3 teams twice, with a absorption connected derby matches.

"We're thrilled to corroborate the contention exemplary for adjacent twelvemonth and beyond and privation to convey NZR for their hard enactment and effort on with Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika for their patience, and the effort that has been enactment into their proposals," said Rugby Australia brag Andy Marinos.

"This is simply a game-changer for rugby successful the Pacific, and indeed, the remainder of the Rugby world. We person seen the superb rugby that Fiji play successful each formats of the crippled and their inclusion volition marque this caller contention 1 of the toughest successful the world."

The Australian contingent volition beryllium made up of the NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels, ACT Brumbies and Western Force.

Matt Gibbon of the Rebels scores against the Waratahs astatine Bankwest Stadium. (Getty)

The Fijian Drua had antecedently competed successful Australia's National Rugby Championship, winning the rubric successful 2018.

Fiji Rugby Union volition denote wherever Fijian Drua location matches volition beryllium played shortly, portion Moana Pasifika volition play their location fixtures chiefly successful New Zealand.

Super Rugby Pacific's 2 caller entrants volition play each different doubly successful the archetypal 2 seasons with different examples wherever teams play doubly to beryllium determined by a seeding process based connected 2021 results, with an accent connected section derbies.

Stan acting Chief Executive Officer Martin Kugeler said: "After a fantastic commencement for rugby connected Stan Sport, we are looking guardant to showcasing the caller Super Rugby contention format.

"We saw involvement and viewership of Super Rugby importantly summation this twelvemonth connected Stan Sport and Nine, and we expect this caller 12 squad competition, with the summation of some Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika, to resonate good with fans.

"As Australia's location of rugby, Stan Sport can't hold to bring this caller look Super Rugby contention to fans adjacent year."

RUPA Chief Executive Justin Harrison said: "It is pleasing to person a confirmed a caller format to determination into 2022, and to supply certainty for the participants and protagonist base.

"Australian and New Zealand teams person a beardown past of Pacific practice representation; the inclusion of Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika reflects the spot of the Pacific Island rugby endowment participation. 

"The summation of the Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua sides are a solemnisation of our game, its people, and its future."

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