Super Rugby Pacific introduces ‘lucky loser’ as part of new format for 2025

Super Rugby Pacific will look fairly different in 2025 with 11 teams set to compete over an extended 16-round regular season. The Finals Series will also see the introduction of a "lucky loser" which offers a second chance to one of the teams who finish higher on the ladder.

On Friday, SRP confirmed the 11 teams that will compete for championship glory in 2025. The ACT Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Fijian Drua, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force will line up next season.

With the Melbourne Rebels no longer active in the competition, organisers have reduced the amount of teams that qualify for the playoffs from eight to six. The three-week Finals Series will include Qualifying Finals, Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.

The three winners of the Qualifying Finals will progress to the next round, as well as the "lucky loser" who will get another chance to challenge for the title. That side will be the highest-seeded losing team – one of the sides who place first, second, third or fourth on the ladder.

One semi-final will pit the top-seeded side against the fourth-seed, while second and third go head-to-head in the other elimination clash. The two victors will progress through to the Grand Final, with the higher seed set to host the big dance.

But, before all of that, rankings will be determined by a 16-round regular season, which will see each team play 14 matches and take two bye weeks. Each side will play seven home games and seven away fixtures during the regular season.

Next year’s SRP season will get underway on February 14, which is one week earlier than previous seasons. There will be three family-friendly Sunday afternoon games throughout the season, with competition organisers open to exploring more Sunday fixtures in the future

“We’re thrilled to reveal the revamped structure, some new features and the start date for the next season of Super Rugby Pacific,” Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley said in a statement.

“The fans are always front of mind and while the full draw will be released soon, we wanted to give them an early insight into what they can look forward to in 2025.

“The introduction of three Sunday afternoon fixtures will make it easier for families to experience the excitement of the Super Rugby Pacific, and we can look to build on that offering in future seasons.

“We’re particularly excited about the new Finals Series, which is designed to produce highly competitive matchups while still rewarding the teams that finish at the top of the table.”

FEATURES OF 2025 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC

• 11 teams
• Teams will play 14 regular season matches, consisting of 7 home and 7 away matches
• Teams will play four teams twice, with a focus on rivalry matches, and the six other teams once
• The top six teams on the table at the end of the regular season qualify for the playoffs
• Qualifying Finals will be 1 v 6, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, with the higher-seeded sides to host. The three winners progress to the next round
• They will be joined by a "lucky loser" – the highest-seeded losing team who will also progress through to the Semi-Finals
• Semi-finals will be 1 v 4 and 2 v 3. The two winners of the Semi-Finals will qualify for the Grand Final

2025 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC FINALS SERIES

FINALS WEEK ONE – QUALIFYING FINALS

1st seed vs 6^th seed

2^nd seed vs 5^th seed

3^rd seed vs 4^th seed

FINALS WEEK TWO – SEMI-FINALS

1^st seed vs 4^th seed

2^nd seed vs 3^rd seed

FINALS WEEK THREE – GRAND FINAL

1^st seed vs 2^nd seed