How the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs work and who will be the ‘lucky loser’?

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

A team can lose a game in the first round of the playoffs and still qualify for the semifinals under the new competition format.

ANALYSIS: Here's a dose of good news for any Crusaders supporters still coming to terms with their team's 35-19 loss to the Chiefs last Saturday night.

The Crusaders are in a lovely spot on the Super Rugby Pacific competition table.

Although they sit in third place, the Crusaders could be in a happy place if the top six teams maintain their positions throughout the final three rounds.

Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu holds up the trophy in the dressing room after the win over the Chiefs in the final last year.

Here's why.

Unlike last year, when eight teams were in the playoffs, only six will be permitted to qualify for the finals.

The demise of the Melbourne Rebels forced the change; with the competition reduced to 11 teams, allowing eight to qualify for the post-season fixtures would have been bonkers.

If the top six teams stay in the current order - the Chiefs, Brumbies, Crusaders, Reds, Blue and Hurricanes - the team from Christchurch will host the Reds, a side they thumped 43-19 in their round four game at Apollo Projects Stadium on March 9.

Should things stay as they are, the first round of playoff matches would be: Chiefs (1) v Hurricanes (6), Brumbies (2) v Blues (5) and Crusaders (3) v Reds (4).

Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea performs a haka.

Under the new format, the highest-ranking losing team after the first round would be spared elimination.

That team would be known as the 'lucky losers''.

If the Chiefs, Brumbies and Crusaders won their first-round games - as the hosts the odds would be weighted in their favour - the Reds would still advance into the semis because of their ranking.

The semis would then be: Chiefs (1) v Reds (4) in Hamilton and Brumbies (2) v Crusaders (3) in Canberra.

But if the Chiefs lost their first round game they would be deemed the 'lucky loser'' and drop to No 2 in the ranking for the semis. The Brumbies, providing they won their match, would go up a ranking to No 1 for the semis.

Damian McKenzie of the Chiefs scores a try in the tackle of Tom Christie of the Crusaders.

There is still scope for a reshuffle among the top six teams, especially with Moana Pasifika and knocking at the door.

The Crusaders, Hurricanes, Reds and Moana Pasifika have played 11 games, one fewer than the Chiefs, Brumbies and Blues.

The concept of a 'lucky loser'' isn't a fresh concept.

The NRL adopted the McIntyre final eight system prior to switching to the four-week finals structure in 2012, where only two of the top four teams get another chance if they lose in the first week of the playoffs. The previous system was in place between 1994 and 2011, and the two lowest seeded teams were chopped each week.

Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said the organisation looked at various six team models. He said they wanted as many matches as they could have with the new model.

“One well-trodden path is to give [the teams ranked] 1 and 2 the week off in the first week,” he said. “What we wanted to do was ensure we had as much premium content for fans as possible.

“That’s where the new structure has been formatted from. There is as much finals content as we can have featuring as many clubs.”

The Super Rugby Pacific playoffs format

What is the format?

The top six teams after the final round of the regular season play will qualify for the finals series.

How will the six team Finals Series work?

In the first week of the finals series, the qualifying finals will be 1 v 6, 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, with the higher seeded teams to host.

If that provides three of the four semifinalists, how will the fourth be decided?

The three winning sides will be joined in the semis by the highest seeded losing team – the 'lucky loser'. That team will progress but will drop one seeding for the semis draw, which ensures a qualifying final match-up is not repeated in the semis.

How will the semifinalists be ranked?

The semis will see 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with the higher seeded teams to host.

So, if the 'lucky loser' was 1 which then won its semi, it could still host the grand final?

1 (lucky loser) would drop a ranking to 2 for semis
2 would go up a ranking to 1 for the semis
If the newly ranked No 1 team lost its semi, and the No 2 team won its semi, the ‘lucky loser’ from qualifiers, now ranked 2nd on the table would host the grand final.

Super Rugby Pacific points (games played): 1 Chiefs 41 (12), 2 Brumbies 39 (12), 3 Crusaders 37 (11), 4 Reds 32 (11), 5 Blues 27 (12), 6 Hurricanes 26 (11), 7 Moana Pasifika 24 (11), 8 Waratahs 22 (11), 9 Force 22 (12), 10 Highlanders 18 (11), 11 Fijian Drua 15 (12).