The Queensland Reds will be chasing a spot in the Super Rugby AU final when they take on the Melbourne Rebels this weekend at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The jury is still out on revamped Super Rugby competition, and Rugby Australia officials will be hoping for a high-quality contest in the face of the direction the season will take in 2021.

The international Rugby Championship is yet to lock in a location for the 2020 tournament, with both New Zealand and Australia under consideration for a COVID hub. Beyond 2020 the rugby landscape in the southern hemisphere is set to shift, with New Zealand and Australia likely to run separate domestic rugby competitions and South Africa to shift their clubs to the English rugby competition.

The Super Rugby AU finals are set to serve as a potential trial over the long-term viability of a streamlined domestic rugby competition in Australia.

The Queensland Reds will be aiming to progress to the final for the first time since their 2011 triumph over the Crusaders. While it has been a seven-year wait for the Reds to return to the knockout stages, the Rebels will be making their first finals appearance in their history.