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Four early candidates for MVP of 2026 Super Rugby Pacific
By Ben Smith
Last year’s Super Rugby Pacific season will be remembered for Ardie Savea’s inspirational 2025 campaign with Moana Pasifika, transforming a franchise off and on the field on the way to claiming the MVP award.
For the first time in their young history, there seemed to be real momentum behind the club, with Savea’s impact helping draw their biggest crowds at Albany Stadium since their inception. He finished as the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year for 2025, securing the award after round 14 with two weeks remaining.
With Savea on sabbatical in Japan this season, a new ‘MVP’ will be crowned for 2026 with Savea unable to go back-to-back. Here are the leading candidates to win the award ahead of the 2026 season.
Cam Roigard (Hurricanes)
The 25-year-old halfback is primed for another big year after his comeback season in 2025. After a ruptured left patella tendon in April 2024 ended his Super season early the year before, Roigard played 15 games in 2025 as the Hurricanes finished fourth on the ladder with a 8-1-5 record.
The All Black No.9 led the entire competition in try assists with 12, highlighting his ability to create for others. Everyone knows Roigard has a strong running game which leds to plenty of tries for himself, he still bagged six in 2025, but his playmaking really makes Roigard a strong candidate for Player of the Year.
If he leads the competition again in try assists in a strong Hurricanes campaign, no doubt he will attract plenty of votes.
In his shortened 2024 season, the Hurricanes still finished as the number one seed with a 12-2 record before succumbing to the Chiefs in the semi-finals. If Roigard can resume his partnership with first five Brett Cameron, who missed most of 2025 with his own knee injury, the Hurricanes have the playmakers and the roster to get back on top and claim a title in 2026.
Will Jordan (Crusaders)
The 27-year-old already has three Super Rugby Pacific titles (2022, 2023, 2025) along with two Super Rugby Aotearoa titles (2020, 2021) and the 2019 Super Rugby title.
It has been a glittering career in red and black for Will Jordan, consistently in the top 10 for line breaks, tries, and defenders beaten. Now well established as the No.15 at the Crusaders, Jordan is expected to continue that damaging form in 2026. Last season he finished 4th= in tries with nine, 7th in line breaks with 15, 7th in defenders beaten with 41.
If the Crusaders do well, Jordan is going to be a large part of that success. The outside back unit at the Crusaders is their strongest positional group, with Sevu Reece, Macca Springer and returning All Black Leicester Fainga’anuku adding firepower. Along with midfielders Chay Fihaki, Dallas McLeod, David Havili, Braydon Ennor, you can count on Jordan getting plenty of ball in good situations.
Fraser McReight (Reds)
The Wallaby openside is one of Australia’s best players, and particularly at Super Rugby level, is a dominant loose forward.
McReight frequently is top five in turnovers won, dominating the breakdown contests to steal plenty of ball. He has many 3+ turnover games for the Reds, and will likely produce more in 2026. He finished with 198 tackles in 2025 in 13 games, the 6th highest defensive output while when it came to turnovers, he bagged 18 which was fourth most.
McReight is not just a defensive workhorse, he possesses plenty of ability with ball-in-hand. He can score tries, make breaks, or set up others with great vision and passing skills.
That makes McReight a candidate for Player of the Year if the Reds can put together a big year and finish as Australia’s top side, knocking off the ever-present Brumbies, and finish in the top four.
At 26-years-old, McReight is just coming into his prime and will likely dominate again this Super Rugby season.
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
The veteran playmaker has been a crucial cog in this era of Chiefs rugby as they chase an elusive title after three straight final defeats.
While D-Mac isn’t the wild young fullback ripping up Super defences anymore, he’s still a mature hand that produces plenty. In addition to being last year’s top point scorer and most accurate goal kicker, he was still top 10 in running metres and second only to Timoci Tavatavanawai in defenders beaten.
He racked up 59 defenders beaten at rate of 4.6 per 80 minutes. Last year showed he still has the agility to make things happen and open up a defence, with 11 line breaks, while he has the maturity in his game to direct the Chiefs around the park. He finished with the second most kick metres behind Beauden Barrett.
He was well and truly in the race for Player of the Year last season, finishing third on the polling. If the Chiefs are finally to get the monkey off their back and win their first Super Rugby title since 2013, it will be D-Mac who produces a fine season and put his name forward again.
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