Country footy, a home fortress and a jaunt across the Nullarbor.
The road to the Super Rugby AUS title is locked in, with the Brumbies' three-match campaign taking supporters from Bungendore to Perth before returning home to Canberra.
Road trip, anyone?
The ACT Brumbies will bring elite rugby back to the regions when they face the NSW Waratahs at Bungendore Sports Hub on Sunday, 13 September, kicking off their 2026 Super Rugby AUS campaign at 2PM AEST.
Feeling in limbo after Super Rugby Pacific? Super Rugby AUS is the perfect cure, delivering four weeks of fast, high-quality rugby before attention turns to the international season.
Now in its second year, the four-team competition features the Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force battling it out across three rounds, with the top two teams advancing to the Grand Final on Saturday, 3 October.
ACT Brumbies Head Coach Stephen Larkham said the competition was an important opportunity to build depth while maintaining the competitive edge of Australia's leading players.
"This competition gives our younger players meaningful minutes in a high-performance environment while allowing our experienced players to keep building their game," Larkham said.
"It creates genuine competition for spots heading into next season. Every game matters, and we're looking forward to getting our campaign underway in Bungendore in front of our supporters."
After the Bungendore opener, the Brumbies head west to face the Western Force at North Coast Rugby Club in Perth (3.30PM AEST), before returning home to Viking Park to host the Queensland Reds in the final round at the family-friendly time of 2PM AEST, with a place in the Grand Final on the line.
All games of Super Rugby AUS will be broadcast live on the rugby.com.au YouTube channel.
Brumbies forward Toby Macpherson, who made his Super Rugby debut this season and claimed the Shawn Mackay Award as the club's Best Young Talent, said the tournament presents the perfect opportunity for emerging players to make their mark.
"For guys like me, it's a chance to play good minutes against quality opposition and prove we belong at this level," Macpherson said.
"You can't replicate match experience, so having another competition after Super Rugby Pacific is massive. Everyone will be pushing to make an impression, and I know the boys are excited to get stuck into it."
Running alongside the senior competition is the Super Rugby U16 Tournament, providing Australia's best young players with a platform to represent their Super Rugby clubs and showcase the next generation of talent.
Super Rugby U16 has adopted a new model for 2026 which will see the Queensland Reds, Western Force and Victoria squads go into camp while playing back-to-back fixtures in Canberra. There will be no finals fixtures in Super Rugby U16, with the champion to be determined by the final competition ladder.
Tickets for the Bungendore and Viking Park fixtures will be on sale soon. Lock in the dates, rally your mates and get ready to hit the road and back the Brumbies as their Super Rugby AUS campaign begins.
2026 SUPER RUGBY U16 SCHEDULE *All times local*
- Victoria v ACT Brumbies - 12.30pm Saturday 19 September - TBC Melbourne
- ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs - 1pm Saturday 26 September - Viking Park, Canberra
- Western Force v Queensland Reds - 2.45pm Saturday 26 September - Viking Park, Canberra
- Victoria v Queensland Reds - 1pm Tuesday 29 September - Viking Park, Canberra
- NSW Waratahs v Western Force - 3pm Tuesday 29 September - TBC Sydney
- Queensland Reds v ACT Brumbies - 12pm Saturday 3 October - Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
- Western Force v Victoria - 3pm Saturday 3 October - Viking Park, Canberra
- Western Force v Brumbies - 11.30am Tuesday 6 October - Viking Park, Canberra
- NSW Waratahs v Victoria - 2pm Tuesday 6 October - TBC Sydney
- Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs - 1.30pm Saturday 10 October - Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
