Leading local chain Shop N Save Supermarket is the new Super Rugby Pacific competition naming rights sponsor for the 2023 season, with the deal marking one of the company’s most significant investments in sport.

The sponsorship means the competition will now be called the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific in the Fiji territory next season. The supermarket giants have also renewed their partnership of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua for a fresh three-year term.

Today’s announcement comes on the back of the release of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific draw yesterday across Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. The draw confirmed six home matches in Fiji, with the Drua today revealing the venues of the six matches.

Speaking at the sponsorship announcement in Suva, Fijian Drua CEO Brian Thorburn said: “This is one of our most significant sponsorship announcements to date, and we are honoured to have Shop N Save Supermarket elevate their support of both the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua and Fijian Rugby.”

The prominence of taking on the naming rights of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific and the importance of their investment cannot be emphasised enough – it is a massive boost for the sport that Fijians love, and for the competition they closely follow. We thank Shop N Save Supermarket for their generosity. With six Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific matches to be held in Fiji, this is the perfect time to align with Fijian rugby and the Drua.”

Thorburn added: “Shop N Save Supermarket has also renewed its playing kit sponsorship of the Drua, really reaffirming support to our Club. Shop N Save Supermarket are deeply connected to their Fijian roots just like the Drua, and their commitment will help us provide our players with the resources they need to compete in the toughest competition in the world.”

Shop N Save Executive Director Nisheel Kisun added: “Thank you all for being part of today’s signing of the Fijian Drua Sponsorship Agreement between Counter Ruck and Kalabo Investment PTE Limited trading as Shop N Save Supermarket.

Today marks the continuation and a significant build-up of a partnership that began last season between the Fijian Drua and Shop N Save Supermarket.

We are extremely delighted to be the very first organisation to take the competition naming rights for the Super Rugby Pacific in the Fiji territory for the 2023 season. We have also renewed our Drua playing Kit sponsorship and continue to proudly be the official supermarket of the Fijian Drua.”

He added: “Rugby is at the very heart of our society and if last season is anything to go by; the Fijian Drua have the incredible power to unite every Fijian to celebrate our rugby heroes. It is therefore fitting that as a 100% Fijian owned business, Shop N Save Supermarket continues to play its part to grow and nurture that patriotic spirit.”

Fiji will feature prominently in the 2023 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific, after the Drua made a massive statement last year with a sell-out crowd in Suva and Lautoka in epic scenes witnessed on global broadcast across numerous territories. In the new season, the six home games in Fiji will be split evenly between the Capital – Suva – and our second city – Lautoka, just 30 minutes from Nadi International Airport.

Thorburn said: “The matches will be held between the two major sporting venues in Fiji, to allow fans across the country to enjoy the competition. Both Suva and Lautoka have easy access to fans from Vanua Levu and the islands, while Lautoka is ideally positioned for matches we believe will have significant interest from visiting fans and Fijians alike. We are working closely with Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji to create new visitor business which will be of tremendous benefit to our country.”

In a cracking first Fiji game of Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific in 2023, the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua will host defending champions, the Crusaders at Churchill Park Lautoka on 11 March. The Drua return to Fiji two rounds later to take on the Melbourne Rebels at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva (1 April).

Another blockbuster match which will have the Club’s passionate home fans buzzing will be the arrival of the popular Blues team from Auckland on Fijian shores for the first time. That match will be held at Churchill Park on 29 April.

The Drua will follow it up just a week later with another massive encounter against the Hurricanes at HFC Bank Stadium. They round off the campaign with back-to-back home matches against Moana Pasifika on 27 May in Lautoka and Queensland Reds on 3 June in Suva.

Thorburn added: “Every member of the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua is determined to make our country proud in what will be a very important year for rugby. There’s so much in store for all fans in 2023 – we simply can’t wait!”

Key features of the 2023 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific draw: 

• Each team plays 14 regular season matches
• Round 1 features traditional rivalry fixtures
• The Waratahs will host the Brumbies in the first ever fixture at the new Allianz Stadium in Sydney
• Round 2 is the Super Round in Melbourne
• All teams play all other teams in the competition
• All teams play three extra ‘rivalry’ games which create home and away mini-series
• All teams will have their byes between Rounds 7, 8 & 9
• Top eight teams reach the finals

SHOP N SAVE SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC AT A GLANCE

 Season opener: Crusaders v Chiefs @ Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch.

Format: 12 teams: Moana Pasifika, Fijian Drua, Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Waratahs, Reds, Force, Brumbies, Rebels

14 regular season matches = 11 round-robin matches + 3 rivalry matches

One bye round per team (all byes in Rounds 7, 8 & 9)

Season Length: 18 weeks = 15-week regular season + three-week eight-team playoff series

Total Matches: 91

Super Round: Round 2, Friday-Sunday 3-5 March @ AAMI Park Melbourne.

Rivalry matches:

Each team plays three teams twice (one at home match, one away match per rivalry)

• Blues: Rivalry opponents are the Hurricanes, Highlanders and Crusaders
• Chiefs: Rivalry opponents are the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Highlanders
• Crusaders: Rivalry opponents are the Blues, Chiefs and Moana Pasifika
• Highlanders: Rivalry opponents are the Blues, Force and Chiefs
• Hurricanes: Blues, Chiefs and Moana Pasifika
• Moana Pasifika: Hurricanes, Highlanders and Fijian Drua
• Swire Shipping Fijian Drua: Moana Pasifika, Reds and Waratahs
• Force: Highlanders, Reds and Rebels
• Reds: Fijian Drua, Force and Brumbies
• Rebels: Force, Waratahs and Brumbies
• Waratahs: Fijian Drua, Rebels and Brumbies
• Brumbies: Reds, Rebels and Waratahs

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