Great rugby
|
|
| Current season | Season 2019 |
| sport | Rugby union |
| Association |
Australian Rugby Union New Zealand Rugby Union South African Rugby Union Japan Rugby Football Union Unión Argentina de Rugby |
| League foundation | 1996 |
| Teams | 15th |
| Country countries |
 Australia New Zealand South Africa Japan Argentina   
|
| Title holder |
Crusaders
|
| Record champions |
Crusaders
|
| TV partner |
 DirecTV Fox Sports Sky Sports Supersport
|
| Website | Great rugby |
Super Rugby (also known under the former names Super 12 and Super 14 ) is a professional international rugby union championship that is predominantly held in the southern hemisphere .
The Super Rugby Championship currently consists of 15 franchise teams, 4 each of which are based in South Africa and Australia , 5 in New Zealand , one in Japan and one in Argentina .
The competition first took place in 1996 with twelve teams, hence the name Super 12 . In 2006 a team each from Australia and South Africa were added, after which the competition was called Super 14 . When another Australian team joined in 2011, the name was changed to Super Rugby . In 2016, the championship was expanded to include three more teams. In addition to a sixth team from South Africa, a team each from Argentina and Japan took part in the competition. In 2018, however, the competition was again reduced by three teams; since then the tournament has consisted of the three conferences Australia (with the Japanese team Sunwolves), New Zealand and South Africa (with the Argentine team Jaguares), each with five teams.
format
The super rugby championship takes place annually from mid-February to late July / early August. It is organized by the SANZAR consortium , which was founded in 1996 and is made up of the associations of the participating countries ( South African Rugby Union , New Zealand Rugby Union , Australian Rugby Union ). In 2016 the Unión Argentina de Rugby joined the organizing consortium, which has been called SANZAAR since then. SANZAAR is also responsible for organizing The Rugby Championship . Due to the regular expansion of the league with new teams, the league format was also repeatedly adjusted.
1996-2010
From 1996 to 2010, each participating team played once against each other team ( round robin ) during regular time , with each team pausing one game day. The home law changed annually between the individual opponents. After this regular playing time, the four best-placed teams advanced to the semi-finals. The first received the fourth in the table, the second received the third. The final took place in the stadium of the originally better placed semi-final winner.
2011-2015
From 2011, six teams instead of four qualified for the play-offs. The two group winners with the best points automatically qualified for the semi-finals, while the third group winner had to play in a qualifying game for the semi-finals at home against the worst of the three other qualifiers. The other two qualifiers also played in such a qualifying game, in which the one with the better points of the regular season enjoyed home rights. The winners then met in the semi-finals away from the teams that had already qualified, with the team that was worse placed in the regular season playing against the best group winners. The final of the championship then took place in the stadium of the originally better placed semi-final winner.
2016 – today
Since the league was expanded to include a team from Argentina, Japan and South Africa, the league consists of two groups, each divided into two conferences: In the Australasia group, the five teams from Australia play in the Australian Conference, while the five teams from New Zealand are assigned to the New Zealand Conference. The South African group consists of the Africa 1 Conference, to which three teams from South Africa and the Sunwolves from Japan are assigned. The remaining three teams from South Africa and the Argentine team play in the Africa 2 Conference.
The team of a conference competes in six games against their conference opponents. Five games take place against teams from the other conference in the same group. Four games are played against teams from the other group. So each team has a total of 15 games. In addition, there are two weekends free of play for each team, as the regular season has 17 game days. Then the champion is determined by the play-offs , for which the respective winners of the four conferences and the remaining four teams with the highest points across the group qualify.
The old format's point regulation has been retained. The winner of a game receives four points in the regular season; in the event of a tie, both teams receive two points. A team receives one bonus point each time it makes four or more attempts or loses with a difference of seven or fewer points.
history
Previous tournaments
After the professionalization of rugby union sport in the mid-1990s, the Super 12 emerged alongside a number of other professional leagues. Before 1995 there were already several international competitions in the southern hemisphere. The earliest representative was the South Pacific Championship played from 1986 to 1990 . The provincial teams of Auckland , Canterbury , Wellington (all New Zealand), Queensland and New South Wales (both Australia) and the Fijian national team were originally involved in this competition . After Australia won the 1991 World Cup , the competition was renewed as Super Six . It proved successful and was expanded to Super 10 with the addition of South African provinces and the Tongan national team . Fiji, however, was eliminated from the competition.
Super 12
With the introduction of pay TV in Australia and other countries, the need arose for an exclusive “product” that was not on free-to-air television - such as rugby union. In addition, those in charge of the sport feared losing their best players to rugby league . In this sport, higher salaries were paid due to the introduction of the Super League (since 1998 National Rugby League , NRL). The Super 12 gave the rugby union federations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa a means of addressing these two problems; a $ 555 million contract with News Corporation gave them both airtime and financial support.
The associations of the three participating countries jointly founded the consortium SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to carry out the annual competition and the Tri Nations . Then in 1996 the first edition of Super 12 took place. At the beginning of the new millennium, the pressure increased to include a fourth Australian team and another team from South Africa. There were also suggestions to include Fiji, Tonga or Samoa or a team from the Pacific Islanders or a team from Argentina .
Super 14
In September 2004 negotiations began for a new contract with broadcasters from 2006 onwards. In December of the same year, SANZAR announced the signing of a new contract with News Corporation (for the United Kingdom , Australia and New Zealand) and Supersport (for South Africa). For the next five years, SANZAR earned 323 million US dollars, an annual increase of 16% compared to the previous contract. The Super 14 and international matches were included. SANZAR reserved the right to separate contracts for other markets such as Japan , France and America . With this new contract came the expansion of the competition. Australia and South Africa each received a new team. However, the Pacific Islands and Argentina still did not participate. The proposal to split Super 14 into two divisions, each with seven teams, was rejected.
In 2005 it was announced that the new Australian team would come from Perth and be called Western Force . After an extensive discussion in South Africa, SANZAR decided in 2006 that the four established teams would continue to play in the Super 14, supplemented by the South African Central Cheetahs . Following the final of the 2006 season was extremely difficult and sometimes impossible for both visitors and TV viewers due to the thick fog in the Jade Stadium in Christchurch . The game was remembered under the name Gorillas in the Mist , based on the film of the same name . In the 2007 season, 22 All Blacks players were absent from the first seven rounds of the tournament as they completed a conditioning program in preparation for the 2007 World Cup . At the end of the regular season, for the first time since 1998 no Australian team had made it to the semi-finals, and for the first time ever, two South African teams made the final among themselves.
Expansion to 15 teams
There have been reports that South Africa may pull out of the Super 14 after 2010. In this context, it was speculated that the South African teams would prefer to take part in a tournament with European clubs, as there would be almost no time difference and the travel conditions would be more pleasant. The reports also suggested that South African officials felt they were at a disadvantage, mainly because of the many away games during the tournament and the long flights for their teams that came with it. On the other hand, the President of the South African Rugby Federation, Oregan Hoskins, expressed his idea of two Argentine teams in the Super 14, which would expand the tournament to the "Super 16" , with the possibility of Argentina taking part in the Tri Nations .
After lengthy negotiations, SANZAR presented a plan to expand the championship from the 2011 season on May 19, 2009. He took up a proposal from the Australian Rugby Union that provided three national conferences so that more games can be played among each other within the participating countries. The start of the season was fixed at the end of February and the end of the season at the beginning of August, so that there is no overlap with the national championships. In addition, there is a three-week break for international matches in June (at the express request of the South African Association). As of 2011, the Melbourne Rebels are the fifth Australian team and fifteenth franchise to compete.
Expansion to 18 teams
Greg Peters, the chairman of SARU, announced in February 2012 that the expansion to include teams from Argentina , Japan and the USA would be possible from 2016 if the current TV contract is renewed. Increased interest in rugby was expected in Japan and the United States in particular, as the sport became Olympic that year. Finally, the league was expanded in 2016 to include a team from Argentina, Japan and another team from South Africa .
Reduction to 15 teams
In April 2017, the host SANZAR announced that it would reduce the league from 18 to 15 teams. The reasons for this were the partially one-sided games, the large amount of travel expenses and a decline in audience interest. The Australian and South African Associations have been asked to name one or two franchises to leave the league. On August 1, 2017 it was announced that the Kings and Central Cheetahs from South Africa will be leaving the Super Rugby Championship and that the European league Pro12, which will be called Pro14 in the future , will increase from the 2017/18 season. The Australian team Western Force did not get a license for the super rugby championship and had to leave it.
Teams
In 2017 the following teams took part in Super Rugby:
In 2007 the Southern Spears from Port Elizabeth should replace the weakest South African team of the 2006 season. After personnel changes at the top of the South African Rugby Union (SARU), this decision was revised and withdrawn, also with regard to the financial problems of the Spears. The Spears challenged this decision and received a stay in the South African Supreme Court in August 2006. The financial and organizational problems remained unsolved, however, and in November 2006 the Spears and SARU reached an out-of-court settlement. As a result, the Spears dropped their lawsuit and continued to exist as a legal entity, but did not participate in the competition in the following years. Although there is no official association, the remaining parts of the Spears have effectively been reconstituted as Southern Kings . After the Kings tried unsuccessfully for a license in 2011 (this went to the Melbourne Rebels), they take part in Super Rugby in 2013 instead of the Lions .
Cup
The first Super Rugby Cup is made of sterling silver and shows the Super 14 logo on a globe that sits on a pedestal that tapers upwards and is slightly rotated. The 49 centimeter high and 2.7 kilogram trophy was produced by Jens Hansen Gold and Silbersmith in Nelson in more than two months of work. The same forge had also made the gold ring for Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings . The trophy was presented to the public for the first time on February 7, 2006 in Wellington .
The expansion to Super Rugby with 15 teams in 2011 required the production of a new cup. It is a stainless steel trophy weighing 18 kg and 65 cm high with a reflective surface, designed by Blue Sky Design and manufactured by Box and Dice (both in Sydney ). The new trophy was presented on June 30, 2011.
winner
- Super 12
| season | Date finals | winner | 2nd finalist | Result | place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 season | May 25, 1996 |
blues |
natal |
45:21 | Auckland |
| 1997 season | May 31, 1997 |
blues |
Brumbies |
23: 7 | Auckland |
| 1998 season | May 30, 1998 |
Crusaders |
blues |
20:13 | Auckland |
| 1999 season | May 30, 1999 |
Crusaders |
Highlanders |
24:19 | Dunedin |
| 2000 season | May 27, 2000 |
Crusaders |
Brumbies |
20:19 | Canberra |
| 2001 season | May 26, 2001 |
Brumbies |
Sharks |
36: 6 | Canberra |
| 2002 season | May 25, 2002 |
Crusaders |
Brumbies |
31:13 | Christchurch |
| 2003 season | May 24, 2003 |
blues |
Crusaders |
21:17 | Auckland |
| 2004 season | May 22, 2004 |
Brumbies |
Crusaders |
47:38 | Canberra |
| 2005 season | May 28, 2005 |
Crusaders |
Waratahs |
35:25 | Christchurch |
- Super 14
| season | Date finals | winner | 2nd finalist | Result | place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 season | May 27, 2006 |
Crusaders |
Hurricanes |
19:12 | Christchurch |
| 2007 season | May 19, 2007 |
Bulls |
Sharks |
20:19 | Durban |
| 2008 season | May 31, 2008 |
Crusaders |
Waratahs |
20:12 | Christchurch |
| 2009 season | May 30, 2009 |
Bulls |
Chiefs |
61:17 | Pretoria |
| 2010 season | May 29, 2010 |
Bulls |
Stormers |
25:17 | Soweto |
- Great rugby
| season | Date finals | winner | 2nd finalist | Result | place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 season | July 9, 2011 |
Reds |
Crusaders |
18:13 | Brisbane |
| 2012 season | 4th August 2012 |
Chiefs |
Sharks |
37: 6 | Hamilton |
| 2013 season | 3rd August 2013 |
Chiefs |
Brumbies |
27:22 | Hamilton |
| 2014 season | 2nd August 2014 |
Waratahs |
Crusaders |
33:32 | Sydney |
| 2015 season | 4th July 2015 |
Highlanders |
Hurricanes |
21:14 | Wellington |
| 2016 season | August 6, 2016 |
Hurricanes |
Lions |
20: 3 | Wellington |
| 2017 season | 5th August 2017 |
Crusaders |
Lions |
25:17 | Johannesburg |
| 2018 season | 4th August 2018 |
Crusaders |
Lions |
37:18 | Christchurch |
| Season 2019 | 6th July 2019 |
Crusaders |
Jaguares |
19: 3 | Christchurch |
- Crusaders: 10 tracks
- Blues: 3 tracks
- Bulls: 3 titles
- Brumbies: 2 tracks
- Chiefs: 2 titles
- Reds: 1 title
- Waratahs: 1 title
- Highlanders: 1 title
- Hurricanes: 1 track
Records and Statistics
Teams
- Highest Score: 96 - Crusaders 96:19 Waratahs (2002)
- Highest Profit Margin: 89 - Bulls 92: 3 Reds (2007)
- Highest Score Away : 83 - Sunwolves 17:83 Hurricanes (2010)
- Most consecutive wins: 16 - Crusaders (2005/06)
- Most consecutive losses: 17 - Lions (2009-2011)
- Most attempts in one game: 14 - Crusaders 96:19 Waratahs (2002), Lions 94: 7 Sunwolves (2017)
- Most attempts in one season: 97 - Hurricanes (2017)
- Fewest attempts in one season: 13 - Lions (2007)
- Most wins in one season: 14 - Stormers (2012), Hurricanes (2015), Crusaders (2017), Lions (2017)
- Fewest wins in a season: 0 - Bulls (2002), Lions (2010)
- Longest winning streak in their own place: 26 - Crusaders (2004–2006)
player
In the super rugby career:
- Points: 1708 - Daniel Carter , Crusaders
- Games: 202 - Wyatt Crockett , Crusaders
- Attempts: 59 - Doug Howlett , Blues (55), Highlanders (3), Hurricanes (1)
- Elevations: 185 - Daniel Carter, Crusaders
- Penalty Kicks: 202 - Andrew Mehrtens , Crusaders
- Dropgoals: 23 - Morné Steyn , Bulls
In one season:
- Points: 263 - Morné Steyn , Bulls (2010) and Aaron Cruden , Chiefs (2012)
- Attempts: 16 - Ben Lam , Hurricanes (2018)
- Elevations: 52 - Elton Jantjies , Lions (2017)
- Penalty kicks: 51 - Andrew Mehrtens , Crusaders (1999) and Morné Steyn , Bulls (2010)
- Dropgoals: 11 - Morné Steyn , Bulls (2009)
Premieres
- First attempt: Alama Ieremie, Blues-Hurricanes, Palmerston North (1996)
- First increase: Jamie Cameron, Hurricanes - Blues, Palmerston North (1996)
- First Penalty Kick: Jamie Cameron, Hurricanes - Blues, Palmerston North (1996)
See also
literature
- Matt McIlraith: Ten Years of Super 12 . Hodder Moa, Auckland 2005, ISBN 1-86971-025-8 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Great rugby teams. SANZAR, August 1, 2017, accessed on August 1, 2017 .
- ↑ a b More for players in new SANZAR deal . Worldcup Web , December 23, 2004, archived from the original on March 20, 2006 ; accessed on September 10, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).
- ↑ Gorillas in the Mist had nothing on this. stuff.co.nz, May 31, 2006, archived from the original on January 4, 2007 ; accessed on May 9, 2013 .
- ^ Henry reveals his 'World Cup team' . Planet Rugby , September 11, 2006, archived from the original on December 16, 2007 ; accessed on May 1, 2018 (English, original website no longer available).
- ↑ Getting the balance in Super 14th New Zealand Herald, September 22, 2006, accessed on September 24, 2006 .
- ↑ Report: SA could bow out of Super 14. (No longer available online.) Mail & Guardian, October 21, 2006, archived from the original on October 1, 2007 ; accessed on October 22, 2006 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Could Tri Nations become four? . Rugby Heaven , archived from the original on March 5, 2007 ; accessed on September 10, 2014 (English, original website no longer available).
- ↑ Melbourne Rebels. Super Rugby, accessed April 3, 2015 .
- ↑ Super Rugby's future stars could find themselves based in Los Angeles or Tokyo if dollars make sense in the next broadcast deal. The Daily Telegraph, February 11, 2012, accessed May 9, 2013 .
- ↑ Backwards role for Super Rugby: Three teams are facing the end. Total Rugby, April 12, 2017, accessed August 1, 2017 .
- ↑ PRO12 becomes PRO14 Championship as two South African teams join to create 'truly global tournament'. Daily Mail, August 1, 2017, accessed August 1, 2017 .
- ↑ Southern Kings confirmed in Vodacom Super Rugby. South African Rugby Union, January 27, 2012, accessed May 9, 2013 .
- ↑ Jens Hansen Handcrafts Sterling Silver Super 14 Trophy. (No longer available online.) Jens Hansen, February 9, 2006, archived from the original on February 9, 2013 ; accessed on May 9, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ New S15 trophy unveiled. Sport24, June 30, 2011, accessed May 9, 2013 .
