Super Rugby CEO shares 'bloody great news' on 2026 ticket sales

Super Rugby attendance in New Zealand is on the rise by a significant margin for the second straight year, and it’s not just Christchurch’s new stadium making the difference.

While the competition’s post-Covid drop in match attendance has come alongside a continued increase in TV viewership, the emphasis on ticket sales is heightened by the fact that the Kiwi Super Rugby clubs don’t receive any broadcast revenue and instead are reliant on fans showing up for the games to make a profit.

With the regular season now wrapped up and the playoffs kicking off on Friday night in Wellington, Super Rugby’s CEO, Jack Mesley, has shared initial insights into the season’s financial performance.

“In the regular season, all five New Zealand franchises have had a really great year. All of them are going to record double-digit growth in crowds this year, and that’s off growth last year. So, that’s really pleasing,” Mesley told Scotty and Izzy’s Sport Nation radio show this week.

“I was in Hamilton on the weekend, and it was amazing down there. The clubs are working really hard, and it’s great to see them getting some of the results.

“We say that knowing we’ve still got a long way to go, but two years of consecutive growth, over 10 per cent growth for all five clubs is bloody great news and testament to the work the guys are doing on the event experience, that’s for sure.”

Team Form

Last 5 Games

47 - 14

45 - 28

24 - 47

17 - 50

38 - 31

19 - 21

14 - 21

32 - 15

30 - 21

45 - 12

4

Wins

2

1

Streak

1

29

Tries Scored

15

47

Points Difference

-20

3/5

First Try

4/5

3/5

First Points

4/5

4/5

Race To 10 Points

2/5

The surge has been felt strongest in Christchurch, where the new One New Zealand Stadium, Te Kaha, has sold out five straight Crusaders games and the entire Super Round. The Crusaders’ round 15 game against the Chiefs sold out a week in advance during the team’s bye, and the qualifying final against the Hurricanes saw general release allocation exhausted in 20 minutes.

Mesley was emphatic reacting to the Crusaders’ run of sell-outs: “Oh my god, how good is it seeing that stadium full?”

“It’s such a milestone for the city, for the Crusaders, and for the comp. I think Super Round was just a great event. And from there, the Crusaders have just gone from strength to strength. Also, weather-wise, it’s just helped promote great code at this time of year, when normally we start to see it get impacted by weather.”

Beyond the Garden City, Mesley highlighted the efforts of the Hurricanes and Blues, with the Auckland club’s new CEO, Karl Budge, credited for “really moving and shaking” with his vision for the club.

“The guys have just done a lot of focused work on the event experience. If you take the Hurricanes, for example, they’ve worked really hard with their stadium around food and beverage costs, they’ve invested a hell of a lot in their matchday experience in terms of pre and halftime shows, and they’ve worked really hard on their pricing. All of the clubs have been really focused on it.

“The Blues are really working hard on creating a differentiated event experience and getting different parts of the stadium focused for different audiences; the uni corner, for example, and the kids corner.

“I think it’s just a result of all the good work the clubs have done, and it’s good to see people turning out.”

Measley continually stressed there being room for improvement and more growth, but agreed with the suggestion that “we do need to beat our chest and promote all of the great things going on better.

“We are still the biggest show in town, and we’re growing. We’re going to post a set of results at the end of this season that’ll be three consecutive years of growth, and that’s a really positive story.

“I think there is a narrative issue here, and there is also a lot of room for growth; we know we can be better. But things are moving in the right direction.”

Across the Tasman, the news wasn’t quite so positive, with the Waratahs, who represent Rugby Australia’s biggest market, Sydney, and the Western Force both narrowly missing the playoffs. The Australian teams that did make the postseason, the Reds and Brumbies, occupy the bottom two playoff seeds and will not host any playoff games.

Mesley said results late in the season hurt the Australian clubs’ ticket sales momentum, but the upcoming Rugby World Cup is providing a broader surge in the game’s momentum that is being felt across the competition.