Super Rugby Aupiki
Women's rugby union competition in NZ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Super Rugby Aupiki is a professional women's rugby union club competition in New Zealand. Its inaugural season was held in March 2022. It is a stepping stone between the Farah Palmer Cup and the Black Ferns. Aupiki translates as ‘the ascent to the upper-most realm’.[1][2][3][4]
Upcoming season or competition: 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki season | |
| |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| First season | 2022 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Most recent champion(s) | Blues Women (2024) |
| TV partner(s) | Sky |
| Related competitions | Super Rugby Women's Farah Palmer Cup |
| Official website | superrugby.co.nz |
Format
Summarize
Perspective
In 2022, the four teams were supposed to have three regular season matches with one home and away game, and one Super Round fixture. The top two teams at the end of the three rounds would contest the final.[5][6][7] The competition was reformatted as a round robin fixture because of the impact of COVID-19. All the squads were strongly affected with player isolations and COVID-19 cases. The inaugural champion was crowned based on their competition points after the final round.[8]
The 2023 season was played over a period of five weeks with ten games in total. Each team played three regular season matches and two play-off matches.[9]
In 2024, the competition was extended from three regular season matches and two play-off matches to a complete home and away round-robin format, followed by a final. This meant that each of the four teams played at least six games during the regular season – three at home and three away. The two highest ranked teams at the end of the regular season contested the final at the home ground of the highest placed team. The new competition format resulted in a total of thirteen matches played over a seven-week period.[10]
The season fixtures for the 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki season were released on 20 November 2024, consisting of six rounds and a grand final to decide the season champions. The 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki champions will play the champions of the Australian Super Rugby competition, Super Rugby Women's, at the end of the season. This new competition is called the Super Rugby Champions Final.[11][12][13] It will be the first edition of the new competition.
History
2022
The Chiefs Manawa won the inaugural title of the 2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season. They defeated the Blues Women 35–0 in the final round of the competition.[14][15][16][17]
2023
Matatū were crowned 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki champions after beating Chiefs Manawa 33–31 in a hard-fought match.[18][19] Matatū won their first title and also handed defending champions, Chiefs Manawa, their first-ever loss in the competition.[18][19]
2024
The 2024 tournament was won by Blues Women, who defeated Chiefs Manawa 24–18 in the final in Auckland, earning them their first Super Rugby Aupiki title.[20]
Teams
There are four teams that compete in the competition. The three teams based in the north are aligned with their Super Rugby franchises, namely the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes. The southern team, Matatū, is governed by the Crusaders and also includes the Highlanders region.[21][22][3]
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Location of Super Rugby Aupiki teams
| Team | Coach | City | Stadium | Capacity | First season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blues Women | Willie Walker | Auckland, Auckland Region | Eden Park | 50,000 | 2022 |
| Chiefs Manawa | Crystal Kaua | Hamilton, Waikato | FMG Stadium Waikato | 25,800 | 2022 |
| Hurricanes Poua | Victoria Grant | Wellington, Wellington Region | Sky Stadium | 34,500 | 2022 |
| Matatū | Blair Baxter | Christchurch, Canterbury | Apollo Projects Stadium | 17,600 | 2022 |
Champions
The following sides have won Super Rugby Aupiki titles.
| Season | Champions | Final | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Chiefs Manawa | No final[a] | Hurricanes Poua |
| 2023 | Matatū | 33–31 | Chiefs Manawa |
| 2024 | Blues Women | 24–18 | Chiefs Manawa |
Players
All four sides contract 28-players for the Super Rugby Aupiki season.[23] All players will be paid for participating within the tournament, with all players being on professional or semi-professional contracts.[21]
Television
Matches in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition are televised by Sky Sport in New Zealand.[23]
See also
Notes
- A Round-robin tournament determined the final standings.
References
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