Crusaders 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Draw Unveiled

Crusaders fans, the wait is over. 

The Super Rugby Pacific 2026 draw is locked in, and the Crusaders are looking down the barrel of another thrilling campaign for a milestone season celebrating 30 years of Super Rugby.  

With a mix of fierce rivalries, blockbuster home games, and an inaugural Super Round in Christchurch to mark the opening of the long-awaited One New Zealand Stadium – 2026 will be one to remember. 

The draw features 77 round robin matches held across a 16-round regular season before culminating in the six-team Finals Series. 

“In 2025 we saw Super Rugby Pacific take another big step forward, with more fans, more drama, and more unexpected results. That success has set the stage for an even bigger year in 2026 as we mark a milestone in Super Rugby,” says Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley. 

With 14 regular season games, including seven at home, Crusaders fans have plenty to look forward to. 

The Crusaders open their season with a southern showdown under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday 13 February, taking on the Highlanders in what promises to be a fiery South Island derby.  

The first home game of the season sees the Crusaders host the Brumbies at Apollo Projects Stadium on Sunday 22 February. Gather the family for summertime footy as the team returns to their home ground for the only afternoon game of the season.  

Rounds 3 and 4 take the Crusaders north for back-to-back battles on the road, facing the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday 28 February for a rematch of the 2025 final, followed by a clash with the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday 7 March – two of the most anticipated matchups of the regular season. 

Round 5 sees derby day return – bringing the Highlanders to Christchurch on Saturday 14 March, reigniting the southern rivalry in front of a home crowd. 

The Crusaders head to North Harbour Stadium to face Moana Pasifika on Saturday 21 March, before enjoying a bye in Round 7.  

We'll return home for an Easter Weekend showdown against the Fijian Drua on Friday 3 April. This game will mark the last at Apollo Projects Stadium and the 120th Super Rugby match at our beloved home turf that's given us 14 years of memories.  

Round 9 and 10 will see the team test their resilience on foreign turf with an Australian road trip. We'll face the Reds on Saturday 11 April at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and the Force on Saturday 18 April at HBF Park in Perth.  

A major highlight of the season – Super Round 2026 – lands in Christchurch for the very first time. On Friday 24 April, the Crusaders will host the Waratahs at One New Zealand Stadium, marking an historic moment for the city and the competition. 

Read more about Super Round

May madness begins with the Crusaders facing the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday 1 May. 

The team then returns home for a Friday night blockbuster against the Blues on 8 May.  

After a Round 14 bye, the Crusaders close out the regular season with two massive home games: Chiefs on Friday 22 May and Hurricanes on Friday 29 May, both at One New Zealand Stadium. 

Crusaders Head Coach Rob Penney says it’s exciting to see what will unfold in 2026.  

“Getting access to the new stadium at the end of April for Super Round is a real highlight – that will be really special to the team and the community – it’ll be wonderful to see the place packed out in red and black,” he says.  

There will be some challenges as there is every year, but team management are working hard behind the scenes to mitigate those challenges.  

“To finish the season with three back-to-back derby matches in what will hopefully be a packed out One New Zealand Stadium will give us a much-needed final boost to the end of the season, we can’t wait.” 

Themed Rounds 

Alongside Super Rugby themed rounds which will be announced in due course, the Crusaders also have two of their own themed rounds. 

Round 13: Members Round 

Members Round is a chance to recognise and appreciate our members from the past 30 years of Super Rugby whose support has never faulted. We want to highlight the fact our members are one of us and thank them for all they have contributed to our club.  

Round 16: Men's Mental Health Round 

Men's Mental Health Round is a cause that's bigger than rugby. It's standing together and talking about the mental wellbeing of our mates, our brothers and our community. We are proud to again be collaborating with some local charities to support Men's health and encouraging open conversations and connection.  

Memberships  

2026 memberships are currently being curated to provide the best Super Rugby experience for our fans. 

2026 Memberships on sale for the Crusaders Membership Waitlist: 17 Sep

2026 Memberships on sale to the General Public: 24 Oct

Finals Series

Following a review of the 2025 season, a tweak has been made to the Finals Series format for 2026. 

The ‘lucky loser’ from the Qualifying Finals will now progress as the fourth seed, meaning they will play away from home in the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final should they qualify. 

The three-week finals series after Round 16 will remain which involves the top six teams on the overall competition table. 

• Qualifying finals: 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4. The top-ranked team will host each QF 

• Semi-Finals: Will feature three qualifying winners plus the highest ranked loser. The highest ranked loser will be penalised and instead of slipping just one rank as per 2025, the 2026 format will see them slip to the fourth rank for semi-finals. Teams will be re-ranked with 1 v 4 and 2 v 3. 

• Final: The top-ranked semi-final winner hosts the other semi-final winner. 

Click to download the Crusaders full resolution draw

See the full draw for the 2026 Super Rugby season here.