Super Rugby locked in until 2030

Will Jordan of the Crusaders during the Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Final match.
Photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz

The future of Super Rugby Pacific has been locked in until at least 2030 with New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia agreeing to a joint venture under a new governance model.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the new partnership, which will extend the existing joint venture from 2024 to 2030, represented a unified commitment to the Super Rugby Pacific format.

Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said there were no plans to change the current format, but there was a commitment to ensure the competition remained at the forefront of dynamic and innovative rugby.

“RA and NZR are committed to the development of the most exciting form of rugby in the world, through trialing and implementing new rules, new ways of engaging fans and broadcast innovations with our partners. The partnership will enable our players, clubs and partners to plan ahead with certainty in a competition that we are sure will feature some of the best rugby in the world.”

The new agreement will usher in a new governance model for Super Rugby Pacific with the establishment of a nine-person board, which will include an independent chair, four independent directors, and one representative each from NZR, RA, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA), Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA).

The board will oversee the competition with the purpose of a clear, unbiased focus on governance, and the creation of a consistent look and feel across the competition.

An agreement has been settled regarding revenue sharing between the parties until the conclusion of the current broadcast deals at the end of 2025 – with further financial agreements to be determined following the finalisation of future broadcast agreements.

The ongoing partnership also establishes an opportunity for NZR and RA to collaborate on wider commercial initiatives and opportunities – inside and outside of Super Rugby Pacific – to create a stronger presence for the sport in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The new board will also have a mandate to explore the creation of an integrated women’s competition structure in order to build on the success of Super W in Australia and Sky Super Rugby Aupiki in New Zealand.

Robinson said there was a collective commitment to grow the women’s professional competitions alongside Super Rugby Pacific.

“We saw the quality of women’s rugby throughout the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and while it is not a case of copy and paste with the men’s structure in Super Rugby Pacific, we believe there are enormous opportunities to build a world class cross border professional women’s club competition in the Pacific region.”