Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific 2026 Season Preview & Schedule
Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific 2026 Season Preview & Schedule
Here's a Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific 2026 preview with full schedule, 2025 results and team overview ahead of the new season.
The Chiefs begin the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season with a familiar sense of expectation, but under new leadership after a year that fell just short of the team's ultimate goal.
An 11-3 regular season in 2025 placed the Chiefs at the top of the standings, yet the campaign ended without a title, leaving the competition’s most consistent side as runner-up, rather than a champion.
That outcome now defines the lens through which the Chiefs enter the new season.
Finishing first with 51 points across 14 matches confirmed their ability to sustain performance week after week, but the inability to convert that position into a championship ensured that 2025 would be remembered as strong, but incomplete.
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Change arrives at the top as the Chiefs move forward.
Jono Gibbes takes over as head coach following Clayton McMillan’s departure to Munster Rugby, stepping into the role after serving as an assistant last season and previously leading New Zealand’s Under-20 program.
With Luke Jacobson captaining the side, star Damian McKenzie back and FMG Stadium Waikato again serving as home base, the Chiefs open 2026 balancing continuity on the field with transition on the sideline.
Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific Schedule 2026
- Feb. 14: 1:05 a.m.: Blues vs. Chiefs
- Feb. 21: 1:05 a.m.: Highlanders vs. Chiefs
- Feb. 28: 1:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Crusaders
- March 6: 1:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Moana Pasifika
- March 20: 4:35 a.m.: ACT Brumbies vs. Chiefs
- March 28: 4:35 a.m.: Western Force vs. Chiefs
- April 4: 2:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. NSW Waratahs
- April 10: 10:05 p.m.: Moana Pasifika vs. Chiefs
- April 18: 3:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Hurricanes
- April 25: 12:30 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Fijian Drua
- May 8: 5:35 a.m.: Queensland Reds vs. Chiefs
- May 15: 3:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Highlanders
- May 22: 3:05 a.m.: Crusaders vs. Chiefs
- May 30: 3:05 a.m.: Chiefs vs. Blues
What Did Chiefs Do In 2025?
The Chiefs finished first in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific standings with an 11-3 record and 51 points. They advanced through the postseason and ended the year as runner-up after reaching the championship match.
2025 Super Rugby Pacific Standings
- Chiefs, 11–3 (51 points)
- Crusaders, 11–3 (49 points)
- ACT Brumbies, 9–5 (44 points)
- Hurricanes, 8–1–5 (39 points)
- Queensland Reds, 8–6 (38 points)
- Blues, 6–8 (33 points)
- Moana Pasifika, 6–8 (28 points)
- NSW Waratahs, 6–8 (26 points)
- Western Force, 4–1–9 (23 points)
- Fijian Drua, 4–10 (20 points)
- Highlanders, 3–11 (20 points)
The Chiefs Coach Is Jono Gibbes
Jono Gibbes is the head coach of the Chiefs, taking over for Clayton McMillan, who was hired by Munster Rugby of the United Rugby Championship. Gibbes was the New Zealand Under-20s coach and was an assistant for the Chiefs last season.
When Does The Super Rugby Pacific Season Start?
The 30th season of Super Rugby begins with Round 1 on Feb. 13, with the first game being in Dunedin between the Highlanders and Crusaders at 1:05 a.m. ET.
Watch The Super Rugby Pacific 2025 Archives On FloRugby
Rewatch every match of the 2025 Super Rugby season on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
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