HIGHLANDERS TO OPEN 2027 SEASON IN FIJI

The Highlanders will launch their 2027 DHL Super Rugby Pacific campaign offshore, opening the season in Fiji on 13^th  February 2027 in a round 1 clash against the Fijian Drua. The fixture marks a challenging start for Head Coach, Jamie Joseph, with the Drua’s renowned home atmosphere and humid early‑season conditions shaping as a unique opening test.

The team returns to Dunedin in round two for a marquee matchup against the Blues, kicking off a significant run of home fixtures at Forsyth Barr Stadium. The 2027 schedule brings visits from the Force, Chiefs, Brumbies, Waratahs, Hurricanes, and a round 15 regular season finale against long‑time rivals the Crusaders.

Round three sends the Highlanders to Canberra to face the Brumbies, with the return fixture set for Easter Saturday four weeks later in Dunedin.

Joseph says the offshore opener and early travel block add a distinctive start to the season.

“Launching our 2027 campaign in Fiji will be a challenge for us, the Drua have built a special home atmosphere, and the conditions at that time of the year will be very testing. With travel to the Brumbies in Canberra following soon after it’s the kind of itinerary that can galvanise a team but will take careful planning to get the best out of our team early on.”

In recent times the Highlanders have played the Crusaders at home early season attracting strong crowds, Highlanders CEO Roger Clark is excited to play the old foe at the end of the regular season.

“Playing the Crusaders at home at the business end of the season is an exciting prospect and  the timing of this game could make it even more special. It will be a great way to complete our schedule of regular season home games, and I am sure it will generate a lot of interest from our fans.”

Round 8 shapes as one of the marquee weekends of the 2027 competition, with the return of the Super Round at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch. Last year’s inaugural Christchurch‑based edition was a runaway success, drawing huge crowds and delivering a festival atmosphere that fans will be eager to experience again.

For the Highlanders, the draw serves up the always‑entertaining Fijian Drua in a Sunday afternoon clash that promises pace, flair, and plenty of noise inside the stadium. It’s a fixture tailor‑made for the Super Round environment - vibrant, unpredictable, and guaranteed to keep supporters on the edge of their seats.

2027 Super Rugby Pacific will have only one bye which will occur for most teams in round 11; the week of the inaugural ANZAC Bledisloe Cup clash.

Rounds 13 and 14 feature back‑to‑back Sunday fixtures, including a home clash against the champion Hurricanes. Sunday games have grown in popularity, with the 4.00 pm kick-off proving attractive for families and supporters.

There will also be a revamped top‑six finals series next year with the 1st and 2nd place teams advancing directly to home semifinals while teams 3-6 contest elimination finals.

Joseph supports the change but notes the season will feel a bit different.

“Rewarding consistently strong teams with a guaranteed pathway to the semi‑finals is a positive. Next year is going to be a tough competition,  one less team and only one bye, and being a Rugby World Cup year as well, will mean managing our player energy week-to-week will be crucial. We’re working as a management team right now to come up with the best way to do that.”

2027 Highlanders Draw

*The location of the round 4 and 10 games will be confirmed as soon as possible with at least one of them to be played at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin.

ENDS