Women's rugby will take a big step next year — and another could follow in 2026.
There will finally be a clash between the respective Super Rugby women’s champions of New Zealand and Australia to determine transtasman bragging rights.
The Super Rugby Aupiki and Super W winners will meet in the inaugural Super Rugby Champions Final in April.
The crossover final is the first official step in bringing the competitions closer together, the ultimate goal presumably being an entirely combined competition featuring all 10 teams.
New Zealand Rugby head of women’s high performance Hannah Porter said the international rivalry would provide a glimpse of the future.
"Giving the fans an opportunity to see the best two Super Rugby teams from the respective competitions go up against each other is an exciting prospect in what is already a special year for women’s rugby.
"Having a final between the two championship-winning teams is a signal of our intention to further align these competitions in the future and we look forward to building on that in 2026."
The Champions Final will be held in New Zealand on the Thursday of Easter Weekend.
Super Rugby Aupiki’s draw was also revealed yesterday.
The four New Zealand teams will again play each other twice, home and away, followed by an Aupiki final on April 12.
South Island club Matatū feature in the opening game of the season, against Chiefs Manawa in Hamilton on March 1.
They will then join the Crusaders for a Christchurch double-header on March 9, Matatū hosting Hurricanes Poua before the Crusaders play the Reds.
Matatū will then head to Nelson to host the defending champion Blues on March 15; to Wellington to meet the Poua on March 22; to Whangarei to play the Blues again on March 29; and back to Christchurch to round off the regular season against the Chiefs on April 5.
The South Island’s only club will not play south of the Waitaki River next year.
That is never a good look but the reality is they get only three home games — for now, at least; more can be expected in 2026 — and understandably want to play two of them in Christchurch.
Invercargill had its first Matatū game earlier this year, and Dunedin hosted their first home game in 2023.
