The 2025 Super Rugby Pacific Qualifying Finals fixtures have been confirmed, with the Chiefs, Crusaders and ACT Brumbies earning home ground advantage in the first week of the Finals Series.
The action begins in Christchurch on Friday night with the resurgent Crusaders hosting the Queensland Reds at Apollo Projects Stadium.
Watch every game of SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
After missing out on the Finals last year, the Crusaders bounced back to form in 2025 to finish second on the ladder following a dramatic last-round victory over the Brumbies.
Their opponents - the Reds - led the competition after seven rounds but a crucial home defeat to the Hurricanes in Round 15 ended their top three aspirations.
The action shifts north to Hamilton on Saturday where the top-of-the-table Chiefs will take on the defending champion Blues at FMG Stadium Waikato.
For the Chiefs it presents a perfect opportunity to exact some revenge on the team that bested them in the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final.
Meanwhile, having finished the regular season in sixth position, Vern Cotter’s Blues need to win three-straight Finals games away from home to defend their title.
The third Qualifying Final on Saturday night sees the third-placed Brumbies welcome the fourth-placed Hurricanes to Canberra.
The Hurricanes achieved a memorable victory in the Australian capital already this season, prevailing 35-29 when the two sides last met at GIO Stadium in Anzac Weekend Round.
The three winners from the Qualifying Finals will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the highest-seeded losing team, coined the ‘lucky loser’.
The lucky loser will progress but drop one seeding for the Semi-Finals, to ensure a Qualifying Final match-up is not repeated in week two of the Finals Series.
The final ladder positions have determined the initial Finals Series seedings: Chiefs (1), Crusaders (2), ACT Brumbies (3), Hurricanes (4), Queensland Reds (5), Blues (6).
The Qualifying Finals are 1 v 6, 2 v 5, and 3 v 4, with the higher-seeded teams hosting.
The Semi-Finals will be 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with the higher-seeded teams to host.
The two winners of the Semi-Finals will progress to the Grand Final, which will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.
A video explainer of the Super Rugby Pacific competition format is available here.
2025 SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC QUALIFYING FINALS
Friday 6 June
Crusaders v Queensland Reds, 5.05pm AEST / 7.05pm NZST, Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday 7 June
Chiefs v Blues, 5.05pm AEST / 7.05pm NZST, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
ACT Brumbies v Hurricanes, 7.35pm AEST / 9.35pm NZST, GIO Stadium, Canberra
