“We think it’s going to be a really positive move in regards to where it sits in the season. The main driver obviously was the global calendar getting set and the regional window moving forward, which shortened up the time that we had at the front end of the year. So [this] allows us room to move and room to grow in that space,” Porter said.
“It’s a bit of a long-term play, but we are really ambitious to grow that competition in more weeks and more games and to really be able to grow that domestic product.
“So, [we’re] looking forward to it getting underway. I think we’ll see a better competition and certainly a more even competition than we’ve ever seen before. More players being more fulltime for longer and coaches being able to have more training sessions and stuff, I think you’ll get to see the benefit of that this year, which will be great.”
Blues captain Maiakawanakaulani Roos with the Super Rugby Aupiki trophy after they won the competition in 2025. Photo / Photosport
With the competition moving to later in the year, several of the country’s top players took up opportunities to play in England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) competition.
The majority of those who travelled to the Northern Hemisphere for the competition did so on short-term injury-replacement contracts, though Black Ferns Georgia Ponsonby, Alana Borland and Amy Rule signed full-season contracts and remain in England as their teams have reached the semi-finals.
Each Super Rugby Aupiki team can sign two international players, Porter said. Nijiho Nagata (Blues, Japan), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Hurricanes Poua, Ireland), Jade Coates (Chiefs Manawa, Fiji) and Shoshannah Seumanutafa (Chiefs Manawa, Canada) were among those signed for the 2026 season.
Porter said that was something that could be further explored if there was the opportunity to do so without impacting the development of Kiwi players.
While Black Ferns contracts are separate, there two different types of contract in the Super Rugby competition; players on campaign contracts are paid $20,000 and those on hub contracts are paid $25,000. Those figures are an increase from that of last year’s competition.
This season is also the first time Aupiki players are working fulltime in their hubs for the course of the campaign.
“I think what we’re seeing and hearing is there’s obviously a lot of players up in PWR and they’re trying to create the best of the best up in that competition. But they’re not going for the money, which is really interesting and really different to the men’s game,” Porter said.
“They’re going because it provides an opportunity to play for 24 weeks of the year… but a lot of them aren’t being paid. I think the difference for the competition down here is we are the highest paid domestic women’s competition in the world, but we just haven’t got to the amount of games that is tipping them over the edge in regards to their decision-making.
Alana Borland (nee Bremner) was one of three Black Ferns still playing in the English PWR competition. Photo / Photosport
“[It would] be great if we could get some of the best players in the world coming down and playing in this comp as well.”
She said New Zealand Rugby was open to looking at what it could do in that space, while maintaining a model to develop future Black Ferns and making sure it’s the “best product that we can put out so it’s great for the fans and commercial dollars as well”.
With movement in squads during the off-season and teams having had more time to prepare together, Porter expected the upcoming edition of Aupiki would be the most competitive yet, and that would be on show from the opening round of fixtures.
A record crowd was expected for the Saturday evening clash between Matatū and Chiefs Manawa. In Matatū’s first game at Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium, 10,000 tickets had already been sold on Friday afternoon.
That was more than double the current attendance record for a standalone domestic women’s rugby fixture in New Zealand, with 4,800 turning up for the 2024 final between Blues Women and Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park.
There will be plenty of new and relocated talent on show in week one, with about 40 players across the four squads running out for their team for the first time.
Among them, Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes will make her debut for Hurricanes Poua, while six-test Wallaroos playmaker Carys Dallinger makes her debut for Chiefs Manawa.
“I think you’ll see some young new stars come out of it. I think that I would like to say that our Black Ferns players and those that are knocking on the door of that will stand up and take some leadership roles and you’ll be able to see that on the field,” Porter said.
“Am I going to say upsets? I reckon there’ll be some upsets in the first round and then the second round’s going to be pretty interesting.”
Super Rugby Aupiki opening round fixtures
Blues v Hurricanes Poua. Eden Park, Auckland. 2.05pm Saturday.
Matatū v Chiefs Manawa. One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch. 4.05pm Saturday.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.