Super Rugby Aupiki 2026 draw revealed: Key dates, venues and final format – Alice Soper
Some of the stars of Super Rugby Aupiki (from left): Mererangi Paul, Krystal Murray, Santo Taumata and Renee Holmes. Photos / Photosport
THE FACTS
- The Super Rugby Aupiki 2026 season starts on June 13, featuring home and away games and a final.
- The third round, branded “All In”, will have all teams playing in Pukekohe on June 27.
- Key signings include Maia Joseph for Matatū, Renee Holmes for the Hurricanes Poua, and Mererangi Paul for the Blues.
The announcement of the Super Rugby Aupiki draw this week set in motion some intriguing storylines about the year ahead. It follows the first release of player signings, departures and coaching announcements.
The 2026 season kicks off on June 13 and will run over eight weeks. Each team will play home and away, before a straight final between those placed first and second. The winner of this match will then play the winner of Australia’s Super W a week later, on August 1.
The third round on June 27 is being branded as “All In” and will have all teams playing in Pukekohe. This marks the first time we’ve seen all the franchises brought back together since semi-finals and third and fourth playoffs were disestablished in 2023. The staging of this weekend offers an opportunity for the competition to make a proper splash ahead of the final.
Round one opens on the big stage of Eden Park and Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium. The Blues will face the Hurricanes Poua while Matatū host the Chiefs Manawa. Then from there, we see respect for their regions with Matatū taking a trip to Timaru and the Blues to Whangārei. Meanwhile, the Chiefs Manawa have themselves a new home base for the year: out of the fortress of the FMG Stadium Waikato and across Hamilton to Fred Jones Park. The Hurricanes Poua have a new base too and will be staging their game days at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt.
It remains to be seen whether these smaller community venues mark a downscaling of ambition from these two North Island franchises. It could just as easily be the attempt to build an audience all of their own. These venues allow for more of a bespoke offering, catering to this emerging audience. If the franchises set up activations, food trucks and match-day entertainment, it could be just what’s needed to draw new fans in.
Each team have only announced one signing so far but they each offer an insight into how the camps are tracking. Matatū is steady as she goes with the announcement that Maia Joseph is staying loyal and returning for her fourth season.
The Hurricanes Poua have immediately lifted spirits in the capital with the surprise signing of Renee Holmes.
Meanwhile, the Blues backline looks as formidable as ever, securing Mererangi Paul to replace Patricia Maliepo, who code-swapped to rugby league after last season.
The Chiefs Manawa have signed Carys Dallinger, who is on the same redemption arc as her franchise after a disappointing couple of seasons. Dallinger last played for the Poua back in 2023, before jumping over the Ditch to leverage her heritage to crack into the Wallaroos. She hasn’t played for Australia since 2023, making her eligible to give the Black Ferns another shot.
Who will be playing alongside her is the big question, with the announcement of 15 players departing the Manawa. Paul and Holmes were just two of the 12 with Black Ferns experience who are moving on. Tenika Willison, Rosie Kelly and Martha Mataele have all been caught in the clash with the NRLW. Where the front-row muscle of Krystal Murray, Tanya Kalounivale, Kate Henwood, Grace Houpapa Barrett and Santo Taumata end up could have huge ramifications for how this tournament plays out. The one silver lining is Kelly Brazier is slipping straight from the field to the coaching box, named as an assistant coach this season.
Will this mark a new beginning for the Manawa? Can Renee Holmes help lift the Poua from last place? How will Matatū grow this season? And can anyone beat the Blues? It’s all about to be answered in Aupiki 2026.
Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women’s sports.