Christchurch’s new 30,000-seat stadium appears to be leading the race to host Super Round next season, with Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley revealing this week that officials are “working really hard” to make that happen.
With One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch set to open in April 2026, Mesley confirmed on New Zealand radio that the venue could host Super Round, and believes that an official announcement might not be far off.
Melbourne was the first-ever home of Super Round in 2022, and AAMI Park continued to host the three-day rugby event for another two seasons. While the spectacle didn’t go ahead this season, it was expected to return in the near future.
Mesley told the ESPN Scrum Reset podcast in March that Fiji was a potential destination for the rugby weekend, saying it would be “awesome.” But it seems a New Zealand city could end up hosting the event for the first time instead, with Christchurch emerging as a strong contender.
“We’re working really hard to make that a reality,” Mesley said on Newstalk ZB’s Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.
“I think it would be such a great event to bring all of Super Rugby down to Christchurch, to help open that amazing stadium.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley has confirmed on Weekend Sport that they’re planning to take Super Round to Christchurch’s new stadium over ANZAC weekend 2026.@newstalkzbsport pic.twitter.com/VCSqpN40gI
— Jason Pine (@pineynz) June 7, 2025
“We’re working hard with a number of government bodies to make that a reality. We really hope things can come off and that we can announce it soon.”
The Crusaders will usher in a new era at One New Zealand Stadium next season, bringing an end to 13 years at Apollo Projects Stadium, where they beat the Queensland Reds on Friday night. With that result, the Crusaders are now 30-0 in playoff matches at home.
According to The New Zealand Herald, One New Zealand Stadium has cost $683 million, with construction on the project getting underway in April 2022. The venue, which was previously known as Te Kaka, will have a roof.
