They may not have the British & Irish Lions inbound like their counterparts across the ditch, but 2025 still promises to be a huge year in New Zealand rugby.
Here are some of the stories to keep an eye on as we approach Super Rugby Pacific kick-off this Friday.
Richie Mo’unga stays put
The will-he-won’t-he saga seems set to conclude with Richie Mo’unga playing out his lucrative three-year contract in Japan. Despite Scott Robertson’s best attempts to tweak New Zealand Rugby’s staunch eligibility criteria, the failure to broker an early release is expected to leave Mo’unga frozen out of the All Blacks until mid-2026.
Last year all signs pointed to Mo’unga returning home one season early – in time for the All Blacks’ campaign in July. Mo’unga signalled publicly his desire to don the black jersey again but with talks now breaking down, Robertson will be left without his former Crusaders quarterback for another year.
Mo’unga will remain on Robertson’s radar. The 30-year-old is likely to feature for the All Blacks at the 2027 World Cup in Australia but staying for a third season at Toshiba, after delivering a League One title in his debut year, carries major implications.
It is a surprise, too, with Super Rugby championship-winning playmaker Harry Plummer citing Mo’unga’s expected return home as a factor in his decision to sign with French club Clermont after one final season for the Blues this year.
Mo’unga’s ongoing absence leaves Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett locked in a head-to-head battle for the All Blacks starting first five-eighth duties. Stephen Perofeta is in the mix, too, but at Test level he’s been employed exclusively from fullback. Under Robertson, McKenzie started the All Blacks first eight Tests only to be usurped by Barrett at the back end of the year. McKenzie did, however, guide the All Blacks to their most notable victory of the season – against Ireland in Dublin.
Mo’unga’s prolonged stay in Japan makes life awkward for Robertson as he must now further commit to Barrett and McKenzie while his clearly preferred playmaker plies his trade elsewhere.
Ardie Savea to Moana Pasifika
Among, if not the, most headline-grabbing transfers in Super Rugby history shifts Ardie Savea, former World Rugby Player of the Year, from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika.
How much impact can one man have on a team? We’re about to find out. The preseason noises emanating from Moana Pasifika are positive. Savea has, ESPN has been told, immediately lifted standards and expectations.
Moana Pasifika has been beset by challenges since entering Super Rugby. Through their first two seasons they won three of 28 games. Last year, with Tana Umaga installed at the helm, they improved markedly to claim four wins from 14.
With a bolstered coaching team, a new training base on Auckland’s North Shore and more financial certainty following the Pasifika Medical Association takeover last year, Moana’s stocks should continue to rise.
Savea’s influence as captain can only help. His desire to join brother Julian, represent his Samoan heritage and mentor aspiring Pasifika athletes is admirable, but it must be noted Savea has the option of taking another sabbatical – likely in Japan – next year that will mitigate his long-term impact.
With Savea leading the charge this season Moana have set their ambitious sights on a maiden finals appearance.
Wellington wing Losi Filipo and first-five Jackson Garden-Bachop are other handy recruits but with Super Rugby adopting a top six finals format following the Melbourne Rebels’ demise, a more realistic target is to steadily improve Moana’s win column each year.
Redemption for the Crusaders?
Surely, the Crusaders can’t be that bad again. With a squad that boasts 13 All Blacks, there really are no excuses for anything other than a drastic improvement.
Sure, the Crusaders endured a wretched run of injuries in 2024. And, yes, they lost five matches by five points or less.
Last year was, however, nothing short of a calamity.
Replacing Scott Robertson and a host of influential All Blacks who departed after the 2023 World Cup was never going to be easy, but no one expected the former seven-time defending champions to fall off such an alarming cliff.
Rob Penney is fortunate to maintain his head coaching position after presiding over a season in which the Crusaders failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015, finishing ninth with four wins from 14 attempts.
A post season review delivered 50 action items and player led criticism of selection, but Penney retained his post to see out his two-year term.
Scott Barrett has relinquished the captaincy due to workload reasons after his elevation to skipper the All Blacks, with David Havili installed as his successor at the Crusaders.
While the Crusaders again harness a plethora of All Blacks, including Will Jordan, Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Sevu Reece, Barrett, Havili and Ethan Blackadder, their burning question remains the same – who will run the cutter?
Mo’unga’s departure has proven just as profound as Robertson’s. And with Rivez Reihana and Taha Kemara, with 18 Super Rugby caps between them, and former Wallabies utility James O’Connor competing for the No. 10 jersey, uncertainty prevails as to whether the Crusaders can go toe-to-toe with the favoured Blues and Chiefs.
Beyond this year the Crusaders must be working overtime on a coaching succession plan. They lost Robertson, Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison to the All Blacks last year and desperately need to upgrade Penney’s post.
When will Wallace return?
Super Rugby has been robbed of last year’s World Rugby Breakthrough player and All Blacks Player of the Year after knee surgery sidelined Wallace Sititi for the majority of this season. At this stage, Sititi isn’t expected to suit up for the Chiefs which is a major dent to their title hopes while stripping the competition of its latest star.
Sititi was a revelation last year, breaking through in the latter stages of Super Rugby with a standout performance in the Chiefs’ semifinal victory against the Hurricanes that catapulted his presence into the All Blacks.
Such was the 22-year-old’s impact in 10 Tests, he was named the All Blacks’ best player in his debut Test campaign.
With no definitive timeline there’s an outside chance Sititi could return in the playoffs but expect the All Blacks to have the final say on their loose forward weapon’s availability.
Date with destiny?
Mark September 6, 2025, down on the rugby calendar as the most significant match of the year.
For the first time in 12 years, the All Blacks will put their Eden Park fortress on the line against the world champion Springboks.
The All Blacks, of course, are unbeaten at their Auckland stronghold since 1994 – a remarkable record extended to 50 tests after extracting revenge on the Pumas there last year.
The Springboks, though, have the All Blacks’ number after claiming the Freedom Cup, Rugby Championship and recording four successive wins over their greatest rivals for the first time in 75 years.
Intrigue and anticipation around this fixture will build to a crescendo this year. These days the rivalry is enhanced by South Africa and New Zealand’s domestic separation – and the notion pushed by some that Super Rugby does not best prepare its players for the test arena.
Since the All Blacks last defeated the Springboks 29-15 at Eden Park in 2013, the last World Cup finalists have met six times on New Zealand soil. The All Blacks won four of those, the Springboks one, with one draw.
Rassie Erasmus’ men, following repeat World Cup crowns, continue to set the bar in recent times, however.
Storming Eden Park will be their top priority this year.
