This week's biggest matches to watch on Rugby Pass

Clermont and Toulon are making space in their trophy cabinets ahead of the Top 14 final this weekend, while down south the Lions tour finally kicks off in New Zealand. Get amongst!

Super Rugby: Blues vs Reds (Friday, June 2, 3:35 pm HKT)

Never mind that this is a dead rubber – it’s also a historic occasion. The battle of the primary colours is being played in Apia, Samoa, making it the country’s first ever game of Super Rugby. If they embrace the spirit of rugby as much as the Chiefs vs Crusaders matches in Fiji have over the last couple of seasons we should be in for a treat. Who knows, maybe throwing the ball around a bit and having some fun will be just what the doctor ordered for the struggling Reds.

Super Rugby: Crusaders vs Highlanders (Saturday, June 3, 10:35 am HKT)

These sides could be 17th and 18th on the table and this game would still have plenty of spice. As it happens the Crusaders are number one, 13-from-13 with a perfect season in their sights, while the Highlanders have won their last 9 in a row after starting the season 1-3. Neither team will be keen for their winning streak to end right before the Lions come to town, so expect this rare retro day game to be an especially fierce edition of the southern derby.

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International: Barbarians vs Lions (Saturday, June 3, 3:35 pm HKT)

It’s finally happening! The British & Irish Lions 2017 tour of New Zealand kicks off in Whangarei on Saturday with the tourists running out to meet a rag-tag XV of provincial rugby heroes. The Barbarians are a finely-tuned mix of hardened old battlers and exciting young talent from around the country, at least one of whom will probably have become a minor folk hero by the end of the game. The score’s not really important, it’s all about enjoying the occasion – there’s no better way to start rugby’s greatest tour.

NRL: Bulldogs vs Panthers (Sunday, June 4, 2:00 pm HKT)

The Sunday ticket provides the weekend’s two best NRL match-ups with the Sea Eagles vs Raiders followed by Bulldogs and Panthers. Both sides are on the cusp of top 8 contention – they currently sit 11th and 10th on the ladder respectively with 10 points apiece. The Bulldogs have struggled to put a consistent string of results together so far while the Panthers look like they could be turning the corner after a dreadful first half of the season. If the good, tough Bulldogs side shows up and the Panthers keep the momentum going we could be in for a belter.

Top 14: Toulon vs Clermont (Monday, June 5, 2:45 am HKT)

Stade de France. The Top 14 final. Eighty-odd thousand fans. The Bouclier de Brennus on the line. Two clubs who know their way to a final, but not, surprisingly, how to win one. Hard to believe, but these two sides have yet to meet in the all-important showpiece match, despite featuring in nine of the past 10 between them. And their total number of victories in that run of dominance? Just two. Clermont in 2010, and Toulon in 2014. One side will, obviously, boost their win tally in the early hours of Monday – but will it be pre-match favourites Clermont, or tough-as-nuts Toulon?