Super Rugby Pacific 2025

[Adam84]

Christchurch is a nice place to base yourself out of for some of the hikes and sights around the region, I wouldn’t stay a long weekend just in Christchurch.

There’s some decent little bar areas, but not a lot of short-stay accommodation or hotels available which is the bigger issue for these events. Compound this with limited flights, and the premium created by limited supply will make It an expensive weekend for a tourist IMO

 

[WoodysRFC]

Yep but it is in reality a 10 15 minute (at most) to city centre.

About five minutes walk from the Riverside Markets, which is where all the pre-match festivities are likely to happen. Chch is pretty bloody good these days.

 

[JRugby2]

Gardner once again proving that he is the standards leading referee in this competition over the weekend. Hopefully sanity prevails and he is rewarded once again with the final, even if they decide to "reward" others with semis this weekend.

 

[Adam84]

I'm a massive Angus Gardner fan, he doesn't get every decision right, but he is consistent, communicates decisions well and is level-headed.

 

[Wilson]

Ngani Laumape signs with Moana for 2 years

They have a lot of ground to make up after all their departures, but this is a fantastic start.

 

[zer0]

fwiw, the final regular season simple ranking table that looks at the results of all games over the season.

One thing it cannot account for, and was ably demonstrated on the weekend, is the Chiefs Choke coefficient. Instead, I leave this in the hands of the boffins at Pitcairn U.

 

[zer0]

Ngani Laumape signs with Moana for 2 years

View attachment 22380
They have a lot of ground to make up after all their departures, but this is a fantastic start.

What has his form in Japan been like? There's a guy on Reddit at least claiming Laumape had been sounding out all the NZ franchises but Moana was the only one interested.

 

[Dan54]

What has his form in Japan been like? There's a guy on Reddit at least claiming Laumape had been sounding out all the NZ franchises but Moana was the only one interested.

That wouldn't surprise me. Not sure of how he's gone in Japan, but not sure a 33 yo 12 would be high an any Super teams in NZ. Most have reasonable cover there. Look at Blues Lam and young Taele, Chiefs have Tuapaea, ,Wrampling etc,Canes have Jordie, Higgins and Umaga-Jensen, Crusaders have Havili etc, Clan have TT and co. Good for MP (Moana Pasifika), as JS is probably past use by date?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Super Rugby finals system to be reviewed

Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said he was aware of the criticism, and it would be factored into a post-season review.

“We will definitely do a review. Clearly with the in-practice versus on-paper, you always learn things, and by seeing people’s response to it,” Mesley said.

“Part of that review will be us looking at how complicated was the structure? There was also discussion last week around the scheduling, and can we do it in a way that makes the most of every match?

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Dismal Pillock]

the Chiefs Choke coefficient.

Easy enough, just follow the synergy lines until you reach "x".

 

[Dismal Pillock]

What has his form in Japan been like?

Seen him play 2 games and he's been laughably bad. Comes off the bench and somehow vanishes immediately. Out of camera shot at all times. Its almost as if he switches sides of the field to avoid all the action.

What makes it even odder is he is in supreme physical condition. Just a wrecking ball of a physique.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Blues rugby star Cameron Suafoa gives exclusive interview about rare cancer fight: ‘Ribs removed, spine shaved, steel rods to stabilise back’​

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Get well, big guy.

 

[Braveheart81]

Super Rugby finals system to be reviewed

Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said he was aware of the criticism, and it would be factored into a post-season review.

“We will definitely do a review. Clearly with the in-practice versus on-paper, you always learn things, and by seeing people’s response to it,” Mesley said.

“Part of that review will be us looking at how complicated was the structure? There was also discussion last week around the scheduling, and can we do it in a way that makes the most of every match?

That's a decent response in my view.

A six team final series is always tricky. Teams 1 and 2 don't really want a week off in the first week of the finals because the extra home final is worth a fair bit of money. Until last weekend it is pretty much unheard of that a sixth placed team will beat the minor premiers.

One of the things I read about the final series originally is that the matchups (and a progressing loser only dropping one place) was designed as the method which ensured there couldn't be a repeat matchup from week 1 to 2.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

When I mistakingly thought "lucky loser" dropped to fourth none of the SF scenarios I came up with were a repeat of QF either.

 

[Tomthumb]

That's a decent response in my view.

A six team final series is always tricky. Teams 1 and 2 don't really want a week off in the first week of the finals because the extra home final is worth a fair bit of money. Until last weekend it is pretty much unheard of that a sixth placed team will beat the minor premiers.

One of the things I read about the final series originally is that the matchups (and a progressing loser only dropping one place) was designed as the method which ensured there couldn't be a repeat matchup from week 1 to 2.

Honestly if no one wants a bye, it should just be a straight elimination playoff. Chiefs had a home game vs the worst playoff team, the fact they lost doesn't mean they weren't given enough advantages or that the regular season didn't matter, it just means the Chiefs weren't good enough

It's a weird contradiction in that trying to make the regular season matter more, they have made the playoffs matter less

 

[JRugby2]

That's a decent response in my view.

A six team final series is always tricky. Teams 1 and 2 don't really want a week off in the first week of the finals because the extra home final is worth a fair bit of money. Until last weekend it is pretty much unheard of that a sixth placed team will beat the minor premiers.

I'd imagine neither does the competition considering they get an extra fixture.

One of the things I read about the final series originally is that the matchups (and a progressing loser only dropping one place) was designed as the method which ensured there couldn't be a repeat matchup from week 1 to 2.

Even this could have been managed - it could have just been a case of the final fixture is decided when the teams are decided and you make sure they don't clash. It's not like finals venues and teams are locked in far in advance anyway.

 

[Braveheart81]

Honestly if no one wants a bye, it should just be a straight elimination playoff.

Can't really do that with six teams.

11 is definitely too few teams to have an eight team finals. People complained about that when there were 12-15 teams.

Four out of 11 isn't enough for the finals in my view and would too many teams out of contention too early in the regular season.

They were surely spend a fair while rejigging the finals format and the lucky loser system after this season and then it will be another decade before the first or second placed team in the regular season loses that first round finals game so it won't matter.

 

[Tomthumb]

Can't really do that with six teams.

11 is definitely too few teams to have an eight team finals. People complained about that when there were 12-15 teams.

Four out of 11 isn't enough for the finals in my view and would too many teams out of contention too early in the regular season.

They were surely spend a fair while rejigging the finals format and the lucky loser system after this season and then it will be another decade before the first or second placed team in the regular season loses that first round finals game so it won't matter.

All fair points. Understand there isn't an easy solution with the amount of teams in the comp, but it just feels a bit micky mouse

Honestly the Chiefs losing made it less silly for me. If that didn't happen we would have had a "playoff" game that was literally pointless as both teams would have already been in the semis before the QF kicked off

 

[PhilClinton]

1st and 2nd get the first week off and host a home prelim the following week - 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th in knockouts to start off.

Winners of those games play 1st and 2nd. Winners of those games in the GF.

The main headache would be if the team scheduled for the final round BYE ended up finishing 1st or 2nd, as that would mean a 2 week break which isn't ideal. But that can be solved by putting the Drua, Moana or Tahs in that slot.

 

[JRugby2]

1st and 2nd get the first week off and host a home prelim the following week - 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th in knockouts to start off.

Winners of those games play 1st and 2nd. Winners of those games in the GF.

The main headache would be if the team scheduled for the final round BYE ended up finishing 1st or 2nd, as that would mean a 2 week break which isn't ideal. But that can be solved by putting the Drua, Moana or Tahs in that slot.

Just had to have a passing swipe