Super Rugby

The Pacific team finished bottom of the table in their debut season in 2022 with two wins - against the Hurricanes (24-19) and the Brumbies (32-22) against 12 defeats. Many of their earlier matches were postponed due to covid-19, both within their own squad and their opponents'.

As part of the build-up to the new campaign, they played a pre-season match at the weekend against the Chiefs, going down 48-7.

They have one more pre-season game, against the Highlanders in Queenstown on Friday, before beginning the competition proper.

Digicel TV will be the exclusive home of Super Rugby Pacific for this season, giving fans the chance to watch every minute of action from the premier international rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere.

Digicel Tonga CEO, Anthony Seuseu, said; “We are eagerly awaiting the kick-off of the new Super Rugby Pacific season. We anticipate witnessing some tough games this year as the trans-Tasman rivalries reignite like never before.”

It’s a major blow for the side as the Drua is just two weeks away from the first Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific match against Moana Pasifika in Auckland.

The Drua confirmed that Habosi had his contract terminated with immediate effect, due to a high-level breach of the Club’s Code of Conduct.

According to a club statement, the decision was made after careful consideration.

The Fijian Drua says they’ll not comment further on this matter and due process was accorded to Habosi.

It comes after New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia signed a new joint-venture agreement in Sydney.

NZR Chief Executive Mark Robinson and RA Chief Executive Andy Marinos each welcomed the new partnership, which will extend the existing joint venture from 2024 to 2030, as a significant moment for professional club rugby in the Pacific region.

Robinson said the agreement represented a unified commitment to the Super Rugby Pacific format.

He said the long-term agreement provides certainty for players, coaches, fans, sponsors and broadcast partners.

Dermody takes over from Tony Brown who finishes his two-year tenure to dedicate his time to helping coach Japan ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup alongside another former Highlander's head coach, Jamie Joseph.

It was Joseph who first brought Dermody into the fold in 2014 as scrum coach and he has been an integral member of the coaching team since then.

After a brief stint in the farming machinery industry, he began his coaching career in 2014 with Southland as assistant coach to current All Black's attack coach, Brad Mooar.

Head coach Scott Robertson confirmed so shortly after the weary red and blacks arrived to “Crusaders” chants at the Christchurch airport on Sunday morning.

Robertson had hoped the hard-nosed Puma would be back for a second season, but the 28-year-old is set to announce his latest destination in the coming days.

“No. He’s not [back]. It’s very sad. We’d loved to have kept him, but it hasn’t worked out that way. He’s decided to take another opportunity,” Robertson said.

Leading 13-0 at half-time, the Crusaders never allowed the Blues within striking distance in the second half, denying the home side any real chance of coming back into the contest.

The Crusaders were the first to create scoring opportunities, with two close calls in the Blues' right hand corner.

Richie Mo'unga opened the scoring for the visitors with a tidy drop goal while the referee played a penalty advantage.

Handling errors from both sides ensued, as a combination of weather and final nerves made for scrappy rugby.

The sold-out sign was already up as the high-flying Blues got set to welcome long-time foes the Crusaders north to Eden Park.

It came 24 years on from the dramatic 1998 final, where a late try earned the Crusaders their maiden title.

A red and black man through and through until moving north three years ago, Blues coach Leon MacDonald expected the 2022 final to play out in similar fashion.

"It's going to be a lot like that.

The home side were put under pressure early on at Eden Park, as the Brumbies' second-five Irae Simone silenced the home crowd with a barnstorming try in just the third minute of the game.

After a perfect start by the Brumbies the Blues quickly took control of the game, playing open running rugby which ultimately led to their first try of the game through number-eight Hoskins Sotutu.

The home side continued to dominate the game in the first-half, with first-five Beauden Barrett orchestrating much of the play.

That excruciating night in Canberra, settled only by a Beauden Barrett dropped goal at the death, forms a significant backdrop to Saturday’s semifinal at Eden Park.