The eight Super Rugby Pacific Quarter-Finalists, and the match draw, have now been confirmed.
The Super Rugby Pacific tournament has today confirmed the eight teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals and the matches that will be played next weekend Friday, June 3, and Saturday, June 4.
The final and eighth position on the ladder was not confirmed until the very last match of the regular season when the Highlanders secured a losing bonus point in a 30-31 defeat to the Rebels in Melbourne.
The one-point loss by the Landers edged out the Western Force for the last quarter-final place because of better points difference from all matches.
Both teams ended on 23 points on the SR table. The Otago men, however, finished +3 after 14 regular-season Super Rugby matches, while the Western Australians had a -117 points differential.
The rules for the Finals Series dictate the following match schedules:
Quarterfinals – 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 with the top-ranked team playing at home.
Semi-Finals – the top-ranked quarter-final winner hosts against the lowest-ranked quarter-final winner, the second-highest ranked quarter-final winner hosts the third-highest ranked winner.
Final – the top-ranked semi-final winner hosts the other semi-final winner at home.
The final Quarter-Finals rankings are:
1. Blues
2. Crusaders
3. Chiefs
4. Brumbies
5. Hurricanes
6. NSW Waratahs
7. QLD Reds
8. Highlanders
The table-topping Blues will play the Highlanders at Eden Park in Auckland in the only all New Zealand clash of the playoffs.
The 10-times champions Crusaders host the Queensland Reds in the first Trans-Tasman knockout match of the weekend at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.
The tournament moves to Hamilton in the Waikato where the Chiefs meet the Waratahs at FMG Stadium.
Finally, the last quarter-final is at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, where the Brumbies play the Hurricanes.
These four playoff matches will be cracking affairs as the competition gets to the business end.
The Super Rugby Pacific Quarter-Finals match schedule:
| 2022 Super rugby Pacific fixtures – Quarter-Finals | |||||
| Dates | Home team | Away team | Venue | Local kick-off | |
| Friday, 3 June | Crusaders (2) | v | Reds(7) | Christchurch | 19.05 |
| Saturday, 4 June | Chiefs (3) | v | Waratahs (6|) | Hamilton | 16.05 |
| Saturday, 4 June | Blues (1) | v | Highlanders (8) | Auckland | 19.05 |
| Saturday, 4 June | Brumbies (4) | v | Hurricanes (5) | Canberra | 19.45 |
