The 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season is the 32nd season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand. The tournament format and Grand Final date were announced in July 2026, with the tournament being reduced to ten teams following the departure of the Moana Pasifika.
The defending champions are the , who won their second title in 2026.
Background and competition Reduction to ten teams In April 2026, Moana Pasifika, an Auckland-based Super Rugby team since 2022, announced they would disband at the end of the 2026 season due to ongoing financial and operational difficulties, with the club reportedly carrying millions of dollars in debt and annual operating costs of around 7 million. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) officially confirmed the team's withdrawal on 24 June 2026, although a return in 2028 was left open as a possibility.
The club's departure reduced Super Rugby Pacific to ten teams for 2027, the competition's smallest size since the Super 10 era. It also marked the second franchise to fold in three years, following the Melbourne Rebels in 2024. Reports suggested the reduced competition could enable a full 18-round home-and-away season and potentially lead to relaxed player eligibility rules between Australian and New Zealand teams.
In July 2026, SANZAAR confirmed the increase in matches and a restructuring of finals.
Format The 2027 season features an expanded regular season and a revised finals format designed to increase the importance of every match. The competition is scheduled to begin on 12 February 2027, with all ten teams playing 16 regular season matches across a 17-week schedule, two more games than in 2026 due to an extra competition week and the reduction of byes from two to one. A key addition to the calendar is the inaugural Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup Test, with national squads selected following round nine. This was stated to make the opening half of the season especially important for players aiming to earn international selection.
The top six teams qualify for the finals. However, the teams finishing first and second receive a bye directly to the semi-finals, while third hosts sixth and fourth hosts fifth in sudden-death elimination finals. The winners then travel to face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the victors advancing to the Grand Final on 26 June. This revised format was geared to reward strong regular season performances by offering greater advantages to the highest-ranked teams while delivering more matches and higher stakes throughout the season.
Unchanged since the inaugural season of the Super Rugby Pacific, standings were based on competition points: four for a win, two for a draw, and zero for a loss. Bonus points were awarded for scoring three or more tries than the opponent or for losing by seven points or fewer.
Teams and personnel
Overview Union Team Stadia information Coach Captain Stadia Capacity Australia 25,011 Stephen Larkham rowspan=2 15,000 20,500 Simon Cron 52,500 Vern Cotter 42,500 Michael Cheika Fiji colspan=2 Brad Mooar New Zealand 50,000 Jason Holland 25,800 Jono Gibbes rowspan=2 30,000 25,000 Scott Hansen 30,748 Jamie Joseph rowspan=2 18,000 34,500 Clark Laidlaw rowspan=2 colspan=2
Personnel changes Team Outgoing coach Date of vacancy Incoming coach Glen Jackson June 2026 Brad Mooar Les Kiss Vern Cotter Vern Cotter Jason Holland Rob Penney Scott Hansen Dan McKellar 29 June 2026 Michael Cheika
Locations
Regular season Standings
Competition rules Competition points breakdown: * 4 competition points for a win * 2 competition points for a draw * 1 competition bonus point for a loss by seven points or less * 1 competition bonus point for scoring at least three tries more than the opponent in a match Tiebreaker rules: If, at any stage, teams have the same number of competition points, the following tiebreaker rules apply (in this order) to determine their standing: * Most wins from all matches* Highest difference between total points for and total points against from all matches (points difference)* Most tries scored from all matches* Highest difference between total tries for and total tries against from all matches* Coin toss
Round-by-round The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets: Team progression Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 (SR) R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 EF SF Final Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Bye Key: Win Draw Loss Bye DNQ = Did not qualify
Matches
Finals
Elimination finals
Semi-finals
Final
References
External links Official Super Rugby websites: SANZAAR Super Rugby Australia Super Rugby New Zealand Super Rugby