Events, Fan Engagement 3 min read

Super Rugby Pacific Announce 30th Anniversary Celebrations at Auckland Season Launch

Written by MOS Editorial Team

Published on 4 February 2026

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season has been officially launched in Auckland, marking a historic 30-year milestone for the competition since its professional inception in 1996.

Players from all 11 clubs gathered at Okahu Bay on 4 February 2026 to commemorate three decades of innovation, with the organisation unveiling new season accolades and a refined voting process designed to elevate the competition’s commercial and fan appeal.

As the competition steps into its fourth decade, CEO Jack Mesley confirmed the introduction of two new season-ending awards: Rookie of the Year and Team of the Year.

These additions, alongside a bolstered Player of the Year panel featuring respected rugby media identities from Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, are aimed at driving deeper narrative engagement across digital and broadcast platforms.

Commenting on the launch, Super Rugby Pacific CEO, Jack Mesley, said: “2026 marks 30 years since Super Rugby arrived with a bang and began revolutionising the professional game.”

“Our clubs are going all out in planning to celebrate… and we can’t wait to see fans pack the stands and be part of it,” Mesley said.

Key Milestone & Record Trajectories

The 2026 season opener in Dunedin (13 February) between the Highlanders and the defending champion Crusaders serves as the backdrop for potential record-breaking performances:

All-Time Point Scorer: Blues veteran Beauden Barrett (1,549 points) is just three points shy of surpassing Morne Steyn (1,551) to become the second-highest point scorer in the competition’s 30-year history.
Conversion Milestone: Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie (312 conversions) needs only eight more to overtake Richie Mo’unga (319) for second place on the all-time conversion list.
Law Innovations: The 2026 season will debut five key law modifications, including the removal of mandatory cards for penalty tries and restricted ruck entries after “use it” calls, designed to further reduce “dead time” and increase ball-in-play minutes.

2026 Opening Round Fixtures

The season begins with a high-performance double-header on Friday 13 February, followed by a full slate of regional clashes:

Date	Match	Venue
Fri 13 Feb	Highlanders v Crusaders	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Fri 13 Feb	NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds	Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Sat 14 Feb	Fijian Drua v Moana Pasifika	Churchill Park, Lautoka
Sat 14 Feb	Blues v Chiefs	Eden Park, Auckland
Sat 14 Feb	ACT Brumbies v Western Force	GIO Stadium, Canberra

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