Super Rugby 2026
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This weekend's games:
Friday 30 January
Blues v Hurricanes — Sacred Heart College, Auckland, New Zealand (1.30pm NZT)
Crusaders v Highlanders — Fraser Park, Timaru, New Zealand (3.30pm NZT)
Chiefs v Fijian Drua — Blake Park, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand (3.00pm NZT)
Western Force v ACT Brumbies — Scotch College, Perth, Australia (4.35pm WST)Saturday 31 January
Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs — Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane, Australia (2.00pm AEST)
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@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2026:
@gt12 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
I've said it before on here; it was a big mistake to form the SR comp when the game went pro back in the 90's.
Now we have a situation where a pro player can play for four different teams, on four different tiers, in one season (National/Super/NPC/club); no other pro football code does this.
Most pro codes have just one main level, with a small all-star level added.
And some dont even do that (AFL, NFL).We already had a competition which in parts was quite professionally run; and had a long tradition and legacy; then we created another, which now has it's own traditions and legacies.
Hard to argue with that in hindsight, but we now have an established Super competition and that's where the primary professional revenue comes from. We should have Super and reserve sides playing across the year.
I know we have a bunch of very engaged (older) fans who love the NPC; I can't see why they wouldn't equally enjoy that competition if it was focused on local amateur players who have come through the club competition.
This feels like an opportunity of separating the dollars for what different organizations do best - the pro teams for revenue and pathways to the ABs, while the local clubs and provinces focus on key metrics such as the number of local club players and competing for trophies that have traditional meaning. The Ranfurley shield, for example, should stay in this (mostly) amateur system.
i was/am one of those that really love the NPC, i have more of a connection to that that the super teams with their 90's logos, tacky names, sanitised colours/jerseys and branding......but....have come around to that the one that has to be promoted
if super rugby was made longer and as a results players generally didnt play both in the same season, and the NPC became a pure club rep comp...i feel they should do something where each franchice had to keep x number of spots open each year and stand outs were picked up on one year contracts (with an option to extend), make it an event at the end of the NPC season along with an awards night where super coaches annouced who they were taking
Do you think it was easier to have connection with super teams originally when the clubs got first choice of all players in their super BPC teams, up till it was changed in 2012/
i do yeah, it felt more like a progression, play well in club rugby and get picked in NPC....play well in NPC and get picked for super...with a little drama in the off season filling a couple of holes, players would move for a couple of seasons to play NPC, sign up with a club if even just for some training but you'd sometimes get a game or two out of them
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Dont mind a few of these. I reckon the law banning entering the ruck after use it call - will go a long way to getting rid of the ridiculour trains off the back of the ruck for a boxie. however will this again put nz players behind the game when it comes to international rugby? i.e how shit our outsides are at taking high balls
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@DurryMexted i also dont rate the pass back for 50:22. I remember when this was the case for clearances from 22, and you would have the 10 sitting miles back in the pocket from a ruck near the 10m so they can boot it out
50:22 has been a great avenue for turning momentum in the game, but if you are already in their half, we should be encouraging attacking rugby, not nudging to corners. May not even amount to many attempts in reality but seems unnecessary
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@DurryMexted said in Super Rugby 2026:
Dont mind a few of these. I reckon the law banning entering the ruck after use it call - will go a long way to getting rid of the ridiculour trains off the back of the ruck for a boxie. however will this again put nz players behind the game when it comes to international rugby? i.e how shit our outsides are at taking high balls
I not sure what the not letting players joining after the ref says use it will do, although it would be a good time for the defending team to throw extra players in to slow ball down. The attacking team can't put in anymore to counteract it? But not sure oif any of them will make much difference really.
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It's easy to prevent 50/22's you just need to drop more players back.
By allowing a 50/22 from a pass back wingers will need to drop back further/more frequently. The result is less players up in the flat defensive line and attacking space on the fringes.
The current rule has already helped this. I can see the logic for extending it
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@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@DurryMexted said in Super Rugby 2026:
Dont mind a few of these. I reckon the law banning entering the ruck after use it call - will go a long way to getting rid of the ridiculour trains off the back of the ruck for a boxie. however will this again put nz players behind the game when it comes to international rugby? i.e how shit our outsides are at taking high balls
I not sure what the not letting players joining after the ref says use it will do, although it would be a good time for the defending team to throw extra players in to slow ball down. The attacking team can't put in anymore to counteract it? But not sure oif any of them will make much difference really.
Attacking team can counteract it by actually using it, instead of waving over 2 tight forwards to come and lean on the ruck so 9 can get a better angle on the box kick. The use it call was an empty threat until now so will be pretty interesting to see how this effects play
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Ok, initial thoughts was not a fan of the pass back for 50:22, but you've convinced me.
Players will be allowed to take quick taps within one metre either side of the of the mark, or anywhere behind the mark, if they are within that two-metre channel running parallel to the touchlines. (Law 20.2)
Doesn't mean refs have to make a mark first?
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:
The ref discretion for an automatic card after a PT will be interesting to see how it plays out. Hopefully the refs have discussed guidelines amongst themselves.
Inline with the other law changes, I imagine this is just largely anti-scrum - so a prop who is being dominated is less likely to be carded.
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@DurryMexted said in Super Rugby 2026:
50:22 has been a great avenue for turning momentum in the game, but if you are already in their half, we should be encouraging attacking rugby, not nudging to corners. May not even amount to many attempts in reality but seems unnecessary
Haha . . . the theory is that the defence will have to drop back to cover the kick sooner . . . hence the kick wont actually come . . . because the attacking team will see a bit more space out wide . . . and move the ball there by hands . . . that I think is the theory . . . we'll see.
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@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:
The ref discretion for an automatic card after a PT will be interesting to see how it plays out. Hopefully the refs have discussed guidelines amongst themselves.
I really like this . . . I think the refs will go for the PT much quicker now . . . couple of quick infringements by the defence on the line . . . straight to the PT.
Ridiculous to have multiple infringements, in multiple phases, on the goal-line.
Just PT it . . . back to half-way . . . and get on with it.Having said all that, the refs do seem to get excited on the try line . . . and forget to referee the attacking team.
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@booboo said in Super Rugby 2026:
Ok, initial thoughts was not a fan of the pass back for 50:22, but you've convinced me.
Players will be allowed to take quick taps within one metre either side of the of the mark, or anywhere behind the mark, if they are within that two-metre channel running parallel to the touchlines. (Law 20.2)
Doesn't mean refs have to make a mark first?
Don't have to "make" it now do they? My impression is what you might be deeming as making the mark is just signalling where it is - the imaginary mark was already there before they signalled it.
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@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@DurryMexted said in Super Rugby 2026:
Dont mind a few of these. I reckon the law banning entering the ruck after use it call - will go a long way to getting rid of the ridiculour trains off the back of the ruck for a boxie. however will this again put nz players behind the game when it comes to international rugby? i.e how shit our outsides are at taking high balls
I not sure what the not letting players joining after the ref says use it will do, although it would be a good time for the defending team to throw extra players in to slow ball down. The attacking team can't put in anymore to counteract it? But not sure oif any of them will make much difference really.
In practice, refs are typically only calling 'use it' at more or less dead rucks. It seems designed to basically count caterpillar rucks.
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Interesting what these rules will do to ball in play time.
Fatigue might start to become a real factor.
We might be getting to a tipping point, even a few extra minutes could have an affect on the type (size) of players required.Robinson (Brett) will push hard for these world-wide if they improve the BIPT and flow of the game, which I guess is the intention.
If that happens, it will be good for the ABs internationally.
But if they dont . . . it will be bad. -
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
Interesting what these rules will do to ball in play time.
Fatigue might start to become a real factor.
We might be getting to a tipping point, even a few extra minutes could have an affect on the type (size) of players required.Robinson (Brett) will push hard for these world-wide if they improve the BIPT and flow of the game, which I guess is the intention.
If that happens, it will be good for the ABs internationally.
But if they dont . . . it will be bad.Robinson was saying when I heard him talking about these rule changes that the hope was they would be adopted in to WR by June 2026, which is the cut off point for changes before the WC.
I can see the NH teams not being keen on Speeding up the game.
Which. Is Robinsons agenda to quicken up
International rugby. -
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:
The ref discretion for an automatic card after a PT will be interesting to see how it plays out. Hopefully the refs have discussed guidelines amongst themselves.
Inline with the other law changes, I imagine this is just largely anti-scrum - so a prop who is being dominated is less likely to be carded.
I think we'll see this discretion used for collapsed lineout drives. Not all of them are deliberate and cynical from a player that has been given a YC.
