The Super Rugby Pacific opener on Friday will mark the beginning of a Southern Hemisphere season in which the British and Irish Lions' tour of Australia looms large. The future of the tournament itself remains a matter of vigorous debate. The collapse of the Melbourne Rebels means only 11 teams will participate in the 2025 Super Rugby tournament, adding an imbalance to a competition already struggling in a competitive sports market. The competition introduces a new six-team finals series where the top three teams will host the fourth, fifth and sixth-place teams in the first play-off round. The winners of those matches will go on to the semifinals along with the top-seeded loser from the first round. The winning teams from the first round of play-offs will have home advantage in the semifinals and the winners of those matches will contest the final. A new finals series, along with other initiatives including a new Player of the Year award, is hoped to make Super Rugby more appealing to fans. "We are fighting for the attention of fans," Super Rugby chief executive Jack Mesley said. "To do that, you make sure your product is as compelling as it can be and you then make sure you're telling that story in a really compelling way. "Our focus is to make sure our on-field product is as good as it can be and that our fans hear all the stories that go in and around that and are engaged by them." One of those stories this season will be coach Joe Schmidt 's effort to assemble a Wallabies squad capable of beating the Lions as an important prelude to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which Australia will host. Another is Rugby Australia's search for a coach to replace Schmidt when he steps down in October. In New Zealand, Scott Robertson will be intent on building a team capable of producing better results than his first season in charge last year when the All Blacks lost four Tests. The Super Rugby Pacific season begins on Friday with the Crusaders and Hurricanes playing in Christchurch, then the Waratahs hosting the Highlanders at the Sydney Football Stadium.