Super Rugby Pacific boss on 'compelling' 2025 season and fan engagement

RNZ News

6 hours ago

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RNZ
Super Rugby Pacific boss Jack Mesley says fans want to engage with the sport 365 days of the year.
The season will reach its crescendo when the Crusaders host the Chiefs in the final in Christchurch on Saturday.
Mesley told
First Up
the 2025 season had been "compelling".
"We've seen a whole lot of upsets, we've seen lots of hoodoos broken and then on the pitch I think the new rules and the work of the match officials have set it up to play some really entertaining and combative rugby.
"The stat was something like, I think we had 43 percent of games that were decided by only seven points or less," the Super Rugby Pacific CEO said.
Closer games, stronger Australian teams, and big turn arounds from the Crusaders, the NSW Waratahs, and Moana Pasifika were a feature.
"We saw the teams that were on the bottom of the ladder last year really change their fortunes ...it was the closest competition in points since 2004 so I think a lot of those teams just got better."
Mesley said introducing Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific where fans build a team of 15 players who score points based on their on-field performance each week, had been a huge success.
"We probably haven't delivered off the field and given fans all the tools that should go in and around a great product that we have on the field so we're working on that. We took some pretty good steps I think this year, Fantasy was one of those, some simple things like a weekly communications flow so that everyone knows who's in and who's out of the team.
"And they've made a big difference. We know on Fantasy for example we had over 70,000 people playing, we know that those people were more engaged with the competition, they are more likely to attend, more likely to watch, more likely to talk about it with their friends.
"Our planning for next season is under way already and we'll hopefully have some really exciting announcements throughout the off-season as to what fans can expect come February next year."
Mesley previously held positions in league's NRL and A-league football before starting his current role in the middle of last year. He brought some lessons with him.
"It's making sure that we've got all the ways that fans can engage with it 365 days of the year because that's what fans want."
Mesley said the growth of Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua was also crucial to the success of Super Rugby Pacific.
"They bring so much to the competition ...we know they have a fanbase wherever they go."