Super Rugby Aotearoa scenarios: How a winner can be decided - and how three teams can finish level

With just two rounds of Super Rugby Aotearoa action remaining, a title winner could be decided as early as Sunday. Here’s all you need to know about the title chances of the Crusaders, Blues and Hurricanes.

Crusaders to win scenario

As it stands:

Sitting first on 24 points (+61 points difference)

Remaining games:

v Highlanders, at Blues

The scenario:

Need one win from their two remaining games to win the title. Pretty simple.

Blues to win scenario

As it stands:

Sam Smith returns to the heart of Chiefs country

Sam Smith returns to the heart of Chiefs country

Second on 22 points (+27)

Remaining game:

Bye, v Crusaders

The scenario:

Need to beat the Crusaders in their final game

and

hope the Crusaders lose to the Highlanders. There is also chance both teams could still end on 26 in this scenario, but Blues would have won more games so they would have the tiebreaker.

Hurricanes to win scenario

As it stands:

Third place on 16 points (+7)

Remaining games:

v Chiefs, at Highlanders

The scenario:

Need to win their remaining two games, both with a bonus point,

and

hope the Crusaders lose their final two games,

and

the Blues win their final game without a bonus point, and then have a greater points difference. Basically, they need a miracle.

The ‘all three teams finish on the same points’ scenario

Yes it’s possible. The Crusaders, Blues and Hurricanes could all finish on 26 points.

For this to happen the Crusaders would need to earn just two points from their remaining two games (either a draw against the Highlanders or two bonus points in defeats). The Blues would need to beat the Crusaders without a bonus point (and deny them a bonus point if they head into the game on 26).

The Hurricanes would need the maximum 10 points in victories over the Chiefs and Highlanders. If this did happen then the title would be decided between the Blues and the Hurricanes as they would both have more wins than the Crusaders. Points difference would be the decider.