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Codie Taylor of Crusaders dives towards the tryline to score during the round eight Super Rugby match between Crusaders and Fijian Drua at Apollo Projects Stadium, on April 03, 2026, in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

"Strategically it made sense": Super Rugby Pacific Chair defends light Easter match schedule

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2026, 8:51am

Super Rugby Pacific's decision to stage three rather than five competition matches over Easter has been justified by the powers-that-be.

Chair Kevin Malloy has defended the move, despite the AFL, NRL and A-League hosting a full slate of fixtures.

Malloy told Mike Hosking the fact that clubs have struggled to get crowds, which is a big part of their revenue, is a big element, and with 11 teams in the draw, they’d either have one weekend with three games or two weekends with four, so strategically it made sense to give teams a break over the weekend.

Also, he says, six grounds were also unavailable, and two teams didn't want to play due to religious reasons.

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