It’s Heritage Round in Super Rugby Pacific and the stage is set for more unforgettable moments to be etched into the tournament’s history with all 12 teams in action following a Covid-disrupted round five.
Moana Pasifika and the Hurricanes kick off the action at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night. The Hurricanes will be buoyed by the return of centurion TJ Perenara to the side for the first time since 2020.
Friday night sees two more matches take place across the ditch in Australia with the Rebels hosting the Fijian Drua at AAMI Park and the Western Force laying out the welcome mat to the unbeaten Brumbies.
The Fijian Drua will be eyeing a second victory in their debut season when they face the winless Rebels while the Force will be hoping to inflict a first loss on the high-flying Brumbies in 2022.
Saturday will be a historic day in New Zealand as crowd restrictions are lifted due to Covid-19 protections.
The Highlanders will be the first team to welcome back unrestricted crowds when they host the Blues at Forsyth Barr Stadium. The Highlanders are yet to taste victory in 2022 and will be hoping their passionate fans can give them a boost under the roof against Leon MacDonald’s men.
It’s a bona fide blockbuster when the impressive Chiefs face perennial favourites the Crusaders at FMG Stadium Waikato.
The Chiefs stunned the Crusaders in overtime back in round four and another victory will put the Chiefs in pole position amongst the New Zealand sides.
Fittingly, Heritage Round is finished with a clash between traditional rivals the Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium.
Check out our official round six match programme below to see all the team lists, key stats, players to watch and feature stories – including a special on the smallest players in Super Rugby making the biggest impact. You can also subscribe to the weekly programme on the official tournament home page super.rugby - sign up now with your email address.
