Super Rugby Pacific returns to Sky Sports on Friday morning, raising the curtain on a southern hemisphere season in which the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia looms large.
An all-New Zealand clash kicks things off as the Crusaders host the Hurricanes on Friday at 6am, live on Sky Sports Mix, followed by Australia star Joseph Suaalii making his Waratahs debut at home to New Zealand’s Highlanders, live on Sky Sports Mix at 8.30am.
The collapse of the Melbourne Rebels means only 11 teams will take part in the 2025 Super Rugby tournament in a campaign which will feature some changes: a six-team finals series, a fantasy league and a Player of the Year award among initiatives organisers are implementing.
“We are fighting for the attention of fans,” Super Rugby chief executive Jack Mesley said. “To do that you make sure your product is as compelling as it can be and you then make sure you’re telling that story in a really compelling way.
“Our focus is to make sure our on-field product is as good as it can be and that our fans hear all the stories that go in and around that and are engaged by them.”
Lions series to Australia on Sky Sports looms
One of the stories that will run through this Super Rugby season will be Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt’s efforts to assemble an Australia squad capable of taking on and beating Andy Farrell’s Lions.
Not only that, Australia host the next Rugby World Cup in 2027 and are in dire need of some positivity for rugby union in the country.
Rugby Australia are also searching for a head coach to replace Schmidt when he steps down in October, with news the Kiwi will only remain for the short-term.
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt announced he will depart his role following the British and Irish Lions series and Rugby Championship later this year
In New Zealand, Scott Robertson will be intent on building a team capable of producing better results than his first season in charge last year when the All Blacks lost four Tests.
The form and quality of New Zealand’s four clubs – defending champions Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and Crusaders – will make for intriguing watching.
Suaalii the next Super Rugby star and Australia’s great hope?
Just weeks after switching to union from rugby league’s NRL, centre Suaalii delivered a man-of-the-match display to help Australia to a dramatic 42-37 victory over England at a packed out Twickenham in November.
The 21-year-old played a pivotal role in ending Australia’s three-match losing streak and saw them register their first victory over England on UK soil since the 2015 World Cup, with Schmidt leading the plaudits for a ‘freak’ talent.
“He certainly has a rugby pedigree, albeit having played a few years of professional rugby league, which has made him a really professional young man,” Schmidt said. “He is incredibly diligent around his preparation, and that diligence I think pays off in the way that he performs.
Suaalii made his debut in the sport of rugby union for Australia against England, and was named man of the match
“He’s a bit of an aerial freak, but at the same time, it was a good learning experience for Joseph as well. I know there was some doubts expressed about him being selected and the risk. I think people would now see the opportunity of involving a young man like that.”
On Friday, Suaalii will make his Super Rugby debut for the Waratahs live on Sky Sports at 8.30am, and he is sure to be a club rugby star this season in the lead up to the little matter of an enormous Lions series for the Wallabies.
Suaalii is the name on most people’s lips at the moment.
Suaalii is sure to be a huge player this season in Super Rugby and for Australia as they face the British and Irish Lions
Super Rugby expansion? A player draft?
One of Super Rugby’s expansion options would be to reintroduce a team from Japan, a prospect favoured by All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett.
“I’d love to see the Japanese become part of the competition,” he said. “I feel like we need to grow the competition and in that respect, that would be great.
“From a player point of view we’ve lost South Africa. We need to grab another country and fill those spots so it creates a better competition.”
South African clubs joined Super Rugby in 1996 and competed against Australian and New Zealand clubs until the 2020 season was abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SA’s four leading clubs joined the URC in Europe to play against clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy in 2021.
Barrett’s All Blacks team-mate Will Jordan believes a draft system would be an extra incentive, allowing players from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and the Pacific to move away from their home countries but stay within the competition.
“I think the stuff around the draft, it obviously creates a huge amount of excitement and equity across the competition right?” Jordan said.
“You see it in American sports a lot and it does add a lot of excitement.”
Super Rugby Pacific Round 1 live on Sky Sports
Friday February 14
Crusaders vs Hurricanes, Sky Sports Mix (06:00)
Waratahs vs Highlanders, Sky Sports Mix (08:30)
Saturday February 15
Fijian Drua vs Brumbies, Sky Sports+ (03:30)
Blues vs Chiefs, Sky Sports+ (06:00)
Force vs Moana, Sky Sports+ (08:30)
British & Irish Lions tour of Australia on Sky Sports
Watch the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia live on Sky Sports in 2025
Sky Sports will exclusively show the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, with all three Tests against the Wallabies and six warm-up matches to be shown exclusively live.
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