Sky Sport has announced wall-to-wall coverage of Super Rugby Pacific’s Super Round, with a free day pass on Sky Sport Now for the opening match between the Crusaders and Waratahs.
Across three days, Sky Sport will broadcast all five matches live, supported by enhanced build-ups, expert commentary teams, special editions of The Breakdown and behind‑the‑scenes digital access, all centred around the first Super Round hosted at Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium.
A landmark weekend
Sky’s live coverage begins on Friday night, April 24, with the opening match between the Crusaders and Waratahs – the first Super Rugby game to be played at One New Zealand Stadium.
Coverage continues across Saturday and Sunday with tailored pre‑match coverage for every fixture. This includes one-hour buildups on Friday and Saturday and 30 minutes on Sunday.
Sky‘s head of sport content Gary Burchett says: “Super Round is about showcasing the very best of Super Rugby Pacific, and we’re matching that on Sky with our most comprehensive regular season coverage of the competition.
“This is a landmark weekend, not only for the competition but for the people of Christchurch. We want fans to feel the energy, the stories and the significance of the occasion, whether they’re in the stands or watching at home.”
Premium broadcast operation
Sky Sport will deploy a premium broadcast operation for Super Round, with more than 16 cameras per match, including cine‑style cameras, four wire camera system with augmented reality graphics, drone footage and extensive in stadium coverage.
Each match will feature Sky’s leading Super Rugby commentary and analysis team, including Jeff McTainsh, Justin Marshall, Mils Muliaina and Jeff Wilson.
They will be joined by experts from Stan Sport including Sean Maloney, Morgan Turinui and Tim Horan, with Stan taking Sky Sport’s feed for the entire round.
This is alongside presenters Laura McGoldrick and Kirstie Stanway, with roving contributions from Joey Wheeler.
Meeting audiences where they are
Sky Sport’s social media coverage will be led by Lima Sopoaga, delivering unprecedented access from inside Super Round across social and digital platforms.
Content will include match previews, fan reactions, behind-the-scenes stadium access, player interactions and ‘Lima on the loose’ videos capturing the best moments from the weekend.
“This is a weekend made for storytelling well beyond the live broadcast,” says Burchett.
“With Lima on the ground and the launch of Sky Sport’s newly formed digital video team, we’re meeting audiences where they are both across broadcast and in digital media.
“Sky Sport has now a dedicated team for capturing content for our social media channels, and this is the first event where our digital video team is fully embedded in the storytelling.
“It means fans will experience Super Round across every platform, in real time, across the entire weekend. It’s an exciting step forward for Sky Sport and a glimpse at how we’ll continue to evolve our coverage,” he adds.
Watch it live
To mark the debut of Super Round at One New Zealand Stadium, Sky Sport Now will offer rugby fans a free day pass on Friday, allowing everyone to watch the opening match live.
This is the first time Sky Sport Now has issued a free day pass for a Super Rugby match, ensuring fans across New Zealand can be part of a milestone night for the competition.
“This is a historic game, the opening match of Super Round and the first Super Rugby Pacific fixture at One New Zealand Stadium,” says Burchett.
“Offering a free day pass on Sky Sport Now is our way of inviting every rugby fan in the country to be part of it.”
The free day pass will be available via skysportnow.co.nz or via the Sky Sport Now app on Friday, April 24.
