Super Rugby Pacific mid-season awards: The MVP and breakout player

The RugbyPass Round Table writers answer the big questions at the mid-point of the Super Rugby Pacific 2026 season. Finn Morton (FM), Ned Lester (NL), and Henry Lee (HL) weigh in on this year’s MVP favourite and the breakout player of the season. 

Who is the MVP at the halfway stage of the competition? 

Finn Morton: If you opened the RugbyPass website or App 81 days ago, you may have read an article by Ben Smith titled: ‘Four early candidates for MVP of 2026 Super Rugby Pacific’. Damian McKenzie and Fraser McReight were mentioned, but it’s the other two who continue to lead that race.

Crusaders fullback Will Jordan is in the midst of a purple patch, starting the season with an incredible cameo off the bench against the Highlanders and continuing to excel in the red and black jersey in another four appearances since.

There’s definitely an argument to be heard that Jordan is, as things stand, the best player in the competition. While not mentioned in the aforementioned article a few months ago, ACT Brumbies enforcer Charlie Cale has emerged as another MVP contender.

But let’s all agree that rugby is a results-driven business that’s defined by wins and losses each weekend, and the Hurricanes should now be considered the team to beat. Devan Flanders, Warner Dearns, Jordie Barrett and Fehi Feinganofo have all made their mark this season.

But instead it’s Cam Roigard, who was mentioned in that article, who leads the charge in the team’s quest for a drought-breaking title. Roigard has been a class above all season, with four tries in his last three appearances reflecting that.

With an electric running game, combined with an elite-standard of both passing and kicking, the No. 9 has helped propel the Canes to first on the ladder. Three different 10s have started for the Canes in seven rounds, but Roigard has still performed each and every week.

Form is temporary, but class is permanent.

Ned Lester: In this writer’s view, there are three players leading the charge for Super Rugby Pacific MVP honours in 2026: Jordie Barrett, Charlie Cale, and Will Jordan.

Each of the trio is fundamental to their respective teams’ success and contributes directly to points scored. Due to his sizzling hot start to the year, this vote goes to Cale.

The Brumbies No.8 is famously co-leading the competition for tries scored with nine in six games, and it’s worth highlighting that tally has come from three games in which he has crossed the line once, and three games he has crossed the line twice. In no game this year has he failed to score. You have to tip your cap to someone performing with that level of consistency.

In a team renowned for its set-piece excellence, Cale’s competition-leading efforts as a lineout jumper also highlight his consistent ability to deliver, while the 25-year-old also owns a spot in the top 10 list for tackles made at this junction.

The Brumbies may have surrendered their lead on the Super Rugby Pacific table, but their stint as the top-seed was a product of wins over the Crusaders — in Christchurch — and the Blues, with a more recent win over the Chiefs also of note. Cale has been a momentum-generator in each of his club’s outings, and his finishing prowess is, crucially, what separates a ‘what-if’ team from a ‘what-is’ team.

Henry Lee: Hard to go past Will Jordan or Jordie Barrett.  I’ll go with the latter purely based on what the Hurricanes have done to start the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, and Barrett’s part in that. The All Black second-five is among the competition’s best at setting up tries this season, and is no doubt putting a campaign together worthy of this honour come the end of the season.

Super Rugby Pacific

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Hurricanes

5

4

1

0

20

2

Blues

6

4

2

0

20

3

Brumbies

6

4

2

0

19

4

Reds

5

4

1

0

18

5

Crusaders

6

3

3

0

14

6

Chiefs

5

3

2

0

13

7

Waratahs

5

2

3

0

10

8

Highlanders

6

2

4

0

9

9

Fijian Drua

5

2

3

0

8

10

Force

5

1

4

0

4

11

Moana Pasifika

6

1

5

0

4

Who is the breakout player of the year at the halfway stage? 

BS:

FM: ACT Brumbies fly-half Declan Meredith skyrocketed into the Wallabies selection frame about 18 months out from the home Rugby World Cup, having steered the Super Rugby Pacific powerhouse to third on the ladder.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt spoke about Meredith on Stan Sport last month, noting the speed and versatility the playmaker offers. If the Wallabies coach is talking about you, you must’ve done something right – and Meredith certainly has this season.

With Noah Lolesio leaving the capital after the 2025 Super Rugby campaign, the starting role was up for grabs. Wallaby Tane Edmed made the move south from the NSW Waratahs, but Meredith has emerged as the clear first-choice 10.

Meredith played 23 matches for the Brums over three seasons before taking command as the team’s chief game-driver in 2026, making six starts in seven appearances. To open the season, Meredith made a bit of a statement with a double against the Western Force in Perth.

The Brumbies would go on to beat the Crusaders in Christchurch, as well as the Blues and Chiefs at Canberra’s GIO Stadium – and Meredith was a big reason why, even crossing for a five-pointer in the remarkable comeback against the team from Hamilton.

Schmidt had Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, James O’Connor, Ben Donaldson and Edmed slot in at fly-half during the 2025 international season, but there’s no reason to say Meredith won’t get his chance in Wallaby gold later this year.

An honourable mention goes to Waratahs outside back Sid Harvey, who leads the way in the Super Rugby Pacific Rookie of the Year race. The former Australia Sevens flyer has been phenomenal in just a handful of appearances so far.

NL: Fehi Fineanganofo has taken Super Rugby Pacific by storm in 2026. After scoring six tries in 12 games in 2025, the winger has lit up the competition with nine tries in six games in his 2026 campaign to date.

The 23-year-old leads the field in clean breaks and metres carried, profiting from and contributing to the Hurricanes’ dominance throughout the opening rounds of competition.

While he showed plenty of promise in his rookie season, the opportunity afforded to Fineanganofo this year, with Kini Naholo’s injury, has shown just how high the former All Blacks Sevens flyer’s potential is, and what New Zealand will be missing for the next two seasons, while he plays out his next contract in Newcastle.

The winger is executing not just on attack, where his pace and power appear elite, but in Cory Jane’s defensive system, where he has shown great instincts and anticipation, having previously spent time in the No.13 jersey for Bay of Plenty.

HL: Declan Meredith’s stocks have risen the most. The Brumbies first-five is a genuine Wallabies bolter, and it feels like his impact has been crucial for the Brumbies in 2026.

He’s fearless, not afraid to take the line on, and could prove to be a high-risk, high-reward option for Les Kiss at No.10 in 2026. Meredith’s try-scoring ability and quick burst of pace are great signs, and at 26 years old, he’s starting to get Stephen Larkham’s side around the paddock effectively.