After years of tinkering by its organisers, the competition now called Super Rugby Pacific will undergo another change next season with a new-look finals format which rewards the top six teams and, most controversially, a “lucky loser”.
The demise of the Melbourne Rebels means the 2025 competition, which starts a week earlier on February 14, will feature 11 teams. There will be an extended 16-round regular season (one more than this year).
Teams will have two byes each. Each team will play seven games at home and seven away. Teams will play four teams twice and the six remaining teams once.
The top six teams will make the playoffs, a change from the top eight making it past the regular season in the previous iteration.
The top 54% of the competition making it past the regular season will likely please purists more than a bloated top 66% as it has been previously, but it is the three-week finals format which may make the most headlines.
In week one of the finals series, the “qualifying” finals will be 1 v 6, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4 with the higher-seeded teams to host.
The three winners of the “qualifying” finals will progress to the semifinals.
They will be joined by the highest-seeded losing team, what Super Rugby is describing as the “lucky loser”, who will drop one seeding for the semifinal draw.
The semifinals will be 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 with the higher-seeded teams to host.
The two winners of the semifinals will progress to the grand final, which will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.
The “lucky loser” concept is unusual in the world of professional sports and could be an attempt to ensure at least one Australian team makes the final four.
Another, potentially fairer, way to accommodate the top six in a finals format would have the top two seeded teams go straight to the semifinal, with the other four playing off to decide who joins them.
Another feature of the competition is a draw – yet to be released – that will feature more Sunday afternoon games. That is likely an attempt to prevent the NRL from dominating that time slot as it did this year.
The 11 teams to compete next season will be the ACT Brumbies, defending champion Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Fijian Drua, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force.
Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said in a statement: “We’re thrilled to reveal the revamped structure, some new features and the start date for the next season of Super Rugby Pacific.
“The fans are always front of mind and while the full draw will be released in the coming days, we wanted to give them an early insight into what they can look forward to in 2025.
“The introduction of three Sunday afternoon fixtures will make it easier for families to experience the excitement of the Super Rugby Pacific, and we can look to build on that offering in future seasons.
“We’re particularly excited about the new finals series, which is designed to produce highly competitive match-ups while still rewarding the teams that finish at the top of the table.”
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