The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Draw is live and debate is already heating up the rugby.com.au newsroom.
Journalists Nick Wasiliev and Lachie Grey have broken down the coming fixtures for Australia's four sides to answer the age-old question - who has the toughest draw?
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To get started, here's a snapshot of each Australian team in 2026:
- Round 1 - Force (away)
- Round 2 - Crusaders (away)
- Round 3 - Blues (home)
- Round 4 - Reds (home)
- Round 5 - Fijian Drua (away)
- Round 6 - Chiefs (home)
- Round 7 - Waratahs (home)
- Round 8 - BYE
- Round 9 - Highlanders (away)
- Round 10 - Fijian Drua (home)
- Round 11 - Hurricanes (Christchurch - Super Round)
- Round 12 - Reds (away)
- Round 13 - Force (home)
- Round 14 - BYE
- Round 15 - Waratahs (away)
- Round 16 - Moana (home)
The Brumbies will start on the back foot with away trips to Perth and Christchurch leading into a tricky run of home games against the Blues and Reds.
ACT then travel to Fiji - Super Rugby's toughest road test - before a three-week stretch in Canberra hosting the Chiefs and Waratahs into a Round 8 bye.
They'll need their strength for a jet-setting month ahead featuring trips to Dunedin, a return leg in Canberra to face the Drua, and consecutive away games in Christchurch and Brisbane.
However, the final four weeks are somewhat kinder with home fixtures against the Force and Moana sandwiching a bye and their Round 15 clash with the Waratahs in Sydney.
- Round 1 - Brumbies (home)
- Round 2 - Blues (home)
- Round 3 - Moana Pasifika (away)
- Round 4 - Highlanders (away)
- Round 5 - Hurricanes (away)
- Round 6 - BYE
- Round 7 - Chiefs (home)
- Round 8 - Reds (away)
- Round 9 - Fijian Drua (away)
- Round 10 - Crusaders (home)
- Round 11 - BYE
- Round 12 - Waratahs (away)
- Round 13 - Brumbies (away)
- Round 14 - Reds (home)
- Round 15 - Fijian Drua (home)
- Round 16 - Waratahs (home)
Australia's top travellers have been handed a challenging but improved draw with less zig-zagging across the continent and longer blocks at home and abroad.
An opening fortnight in Perth against the Brumbies and Blues is welcome before Simon Cron's men navigate a tricky three-game tour of New Zealand ahead of their Round 6 bye.
The Force will then host the Chiefs in Round 7 ahead of a two-leg away trip to Brisbane and Fiji before returning for a home clash with the Crusaders.
Another two-leg trip looms after their Round 11 bye - this time for Aussie derbies in Sydney and Canberra - but the Force will enjoy three consecutive home games against the Reds, Drua and Waratahs to round out their regular season.
- Round 1 - Waratahs (away)
- Round 2 - BYE
- Round 3 - Highlanders (home)
- Round 4 - Brumbies (away)
- Round 5 - Waratahs (home)
- Round 6 - Fijian Drua (away)
- Round 7 - Hurricanes (away)
- Round 8 - Force (home)
- Round 9 - Crusaders (home)
- Round 10 - BYE
- Round 11 - Blues (Christchurch - Super Round)
- Round 12 - Brumbies (home)
- Round 13 - Chiefs (home)
- Round 14 - Force (away)
- Round 15 - Moana Pasifika (away)
- Round 16 - Fijian Drua (home)
The fixture gods have looked favourably on Queensland - the Reds won't leave Australia's east coast until Round 6 - but their 2026 won't be without hiccups.
After opening their season in Sydney before Round 2 bye, Queensland will host the Highlanders and Waratahs either side of their Round 5 Brumbies derby in Canberra.
A two-leg Pacific tour will follow to Fiji and Wellington before returning to Brisbane for consecutive home games against the Force and Crusaders.
Queensland have the pre-Super Round bye and tackle the Blues in Christchurch ahead of a fortnight at Suncorp Stadium to host the Brumbies and Chiefs.
There's a late cross-country trip to come with the Reds travelling to Perth and Auckland before a Round 16 finale against the Drua.
- Round 1 - Reds (home)
- Round 2 - Fijian Drua (home)
- Round 3 - BYE
- Round 4 - Hurricanes (home)
- Round 5 - Reds (away)
- Round 6 - Blues (home)
- Round 7 - Brumbies (away)
- Round 8 - Chiefs (away)
- Round 9 - BYE
- Round 10 - Moana Pasifika (home)
- Round 11 - Crusaders (Christchurch - Super Round)
- Round 12 - Force (home)
- Round 13 - Highlanders (home)
- Round 14 - Fijian Drua (away)
- Round 15 - Brumbies (home)
- Round 16 - Force (away)
Few would be surprised to hear NSW coach Dan McKellar gave his side's 2026 draw a "thumbs up" in their official Waratahs statement.
The Tahs have once again been handed a dream start headlined by three consecutive home games between Rounds 1 and 4 (including a bye) and won't leave Australia's eastern states until Round 8 (away vs Chiefs).
After their Round 9 bye, NSW will then enjoy home clashes against Moana Pasifika and the Force either side of a challenging Super Round clash against hosts Crusaders in Christchurch.
The Waratahs face a more challenging final month - a two-game tour to Dunedin and Fiji leads into a home clash against the Brumbies - before rounding our their regular season in Perth against the Force.
Nick Wasiliev
Super Rugby draws are a sprint, one of the most unique challenges for players and coaches at professional club level.
You should be very happy if you are a Waratahs fan. The Waratahs are a real chance to win at least four of their opening five games with so much time in Sydney.
While there are a few tough away trips, some favourable home games sprinkled in later in the season means there is a great opportunity for Dan McKellar's men to maintain momentum.
The Reds run a close second. They do have the chance to nab some home wins early on, but the opening seven rounds will be tough work, with trips to Fiji and Wellington.
However, after the Hurricanes they have a dream run: five home games, two very winnable away games and Super Round. Les Kiss has ample opportunity to come home strong.
The Force is always tough given their proximity, but if you are among the most-travelled sides in the comp, breaking up the travel into blocks works best, and this draw has lots to like.
Two instances of consecutive home games is ideal, and even three consecutive weeks in New Zealand early on has it's opportunities: the side can bond on the road and have minimal travel (in 2023 the Force pushed the Highlanders, Blues and Hurricanes close in consecutive weeks).
The four matches either side of their byes are brutal, with trips to Brisbane and Fiji, plus playing both finalists at home. But with a run home that good, there is lots of opportunity for Simon Cron's men.
When it comes to momentum though, the Brumbies have really drawn the short straw this season. This is a tricky draw, from start to finish.
Travelling to Perth, Christchurch and Fiji inside the first five rounds will be hard work, not to mention facing strong teams in the Blues, Chiefs and Reds in Canberra.
After their first bye there is a chance to build momentum, with several winnable games in consecutive weeks - but it comes with a trip to Brisbane and two trips to New Zealand.
The final four rounds do offer some respite from travel, but it comes with a Waratah derby in Sydney. The men from Canberra will have a lot of moving parts to consider in their draw.
Lachie Grey
Despite drawing three Kiwi road fixtures, there's no doubt the Waratahs have come up trumps.
Dan McKellar's side won't leave Sydney for the opening month and should pull strong crowds for their home clashes with the Reds (Round 1), Drua (Round 2), Hurricanes (Round 4) and Blues (Round 6).
The Waratahs are a huge chance of cracking the top six if they're able to match their 2025 campaign and go 4-0 at home to kickstart 2026 - but they'll have to shake their Reds hoodoo and pick up at least one away win from their three across the Tasman (Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders).
Queensland have the second-best draw - they won't leave the country until Round 6 and face just one Kiwi side on their home track (Round 7 - Hurricanes in Wellington) - to go with four NZ clashes at Suncorp Stadium.
The Force are 2026's biggest unknown and remain the competition's farthest fliers with the Drua, even with their Super Round absence.
However, Simon Cron's side should benefit from well positioned byes in Rounds 6 and Round 11 alongside larger blocks both home and abroad.
Crucially, the Perth-based club won't leave Australian shores after returning from Fiji in Round 9 and will enjoy three home games to round out their regular season.
That leaves the Brumbies - in this author's view - to have the toughest Australian draw for 2026.
ACT won't get a bye until Round 8 and face each of their fellow 2025 semi finalists - Crusaders (away), Chiefs and Blues (both home) - in the opening six weeks.
Life gets somewhat easier after their Round 11 Hurricanes clash with two home games and two Aussie derbies away around a Round 14 bye but it's a tricky draw regardless.
