MELBOURNE, Australia — Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika will join
Australian and New Zealand Super
Rugby sides in a 12-team Pacific competition from 2022, organisers said on Monday.
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Super Rugby Pacific will begin on February 18 and have a three-week playoffs schedule in May and June, wrapping up before the July international window.
"This is a game-changer for rugby in the Pacific, and indeed the rest of the rugby world," Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos said in a statement.
"We have seen the brilliant rugby that Fiji play in all formats of the game and their inclusion will make this new competition one of the toughest in the world."
The competition builds on 'Super Rugby Trans-Tasman', which was played between Australia and New Zealand's sides this year.
New Zealand has been pushing for the involvement of the two Pacific teams in Super Rugby for over a year.
The earlier version of the Super Rugby competition featuring South African teams and Argentina's Jaguars appears unlikely to be revived following its suspension last year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Australia and New Zealand put on their own domestic competitions to fill the breach in 2020 and earlier this year before their teams clashed in Trans-Tasman games in May and June.
Fijian Drua previously competed in Australia's lower-tier National Rugby Championship, winning the title in 2018.
It is yet to be confirmed where Drua will play their home matches, but Moana Pasifika will play their games mainly in New Zealand.
NZ's general manager of professional rugby Chris Lendrum said the Super Rugby Pacific competition marked an exciting new phase.
"Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua will add an enormous amount of energy, skill and talent to the competition, not to mention a passionate support base," Lendrum said.
"The Pasifika nations have added so much to world rugby over the years and this is an opportunity to enhance the standing of Pasifika rugby."
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