Super Rugby

Super Rugby ( under its former name Super 12 and Super 14 known) is a professional international rugby union championship in the southern hemisphere.

Currently, the Super Rugby Championship from 15 franchise teams, five of which were ever in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are located. The five teams playing in a country of a common group or conference, in which each team competes in the league system, in home and away matches against the other four. In addition, all teams will play once against four teams from each of the other two Conferences. The Master is after 18 regular days - each team has two weekends break - through the play-offs determined for qualifying the respective winners of the three Conferences, and the remaining three conference border the highest point totals.

The competition was first held in 1996 with twelve teams, hence the name Super 12 in 2006 were ever a team from Australia and South Africa added, after which the competition was called Super 14. After 2011 another Australian team came to, it was renamed the Super Rugby.

• 6.1 Teams
• 6.2 Players
• 6.3 premieres

Format

The Super Rugby Championship is held annually from mid- February to early July. It is organized by SANZAR consortium founded in 1996, is made up of the organizations of the participating countries (South African Rugby Union, New Zealand Rugby Union, Australian Rugby Union). SANZAR is also responsible for the organization of The Rugby Championship.

From 1996 to 2010 played each participating team during the regular season once against every other team (Round Robin ), each team paused for a game day. The venue moved here a year between the opponents. After this regular season the top four teams made ​​it to the semi-finals. The first received the fourth in the table, the second to the third party. In the stadium of the original higher-ranked semi-final winner, the final took place.

The new format from the 2011 season qualify instead of four new six teams for the play- offs. The two most points group winners automatically qualify for the semifinals, while the third group winners must compete in a qualifying match for the semi-finals at home against the worst point of the three other qualifiers. The other two qualifiers also play in such a qualification game in which the point better the regular season enjoying home advantage. The winners meet in the semifinals then away to the previously qualified teams, with the team in the regular season worse placed against the best group winners play. In the stadium of the original higher-ranked semi-final winner then the final championship takes place. Thus, there are a total of 124 games per season.

The control points of the old format was retained. The winner of a game receives in the regular season four points, in the case of a tie, both teams get two points. Always get a bonus point receives a team when putting it up or lose with seven points or less difference of four or more experiments.

History

Previous tournaments

Following the professionalisation of rugby union sport mid-1990s was the Super 12 in addition to a number of other professional leagues. Before 1995, there were already several international competition events in the southern hemisphere. The earliest was the representative from 1986 to 1990 discharged South Pacific Championship. This competition is the provincial teams Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington were originally (all New Zealand), Queensland and New South Wales involved (both Australia ) and the Fiji national team. After defeating Australia in the World Cup 1991, the contest was renewed as the Super Six. He proved to be successful and was expanded by the inclusion of South African provinces and the Tongan national team to Super 10. Fiji, however, withdrew from the competition.

Super 12

Such as Rugby Union - The introduction of pay television in Australia and other countries, the need for an exclusive " product" that was not on free-TV was present. Moreover feared the charge of the sport to lose their best players to Rugby League. In this sport with the introduction of Super League ( since 1998 National Rugby League, NRL) were paid higher salaries. With the Super 12 had the rugby union organizations in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa a means to address these two problems; by a 555 million U.S. dollars expensive contract with the News Corporation, they received both transmission time and financial support.

The associations of the three participating countries jointly founded the consortium SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to perform the annual competition and the Tri Nations. In 1996, the first edition of Super 12 took place. At the beginning of the new millennium, the pressure, a fourth Australian team and another team from South Africa grew at record. Furthermore, there have been proposals, Fiji, Tonga or Samoa or a joint team of the Pacific Islanders or a team from Argentina to involve.

Super 14

In September 2004, negotiations began for a new contract with the broadcasters from 2006. In December of the same year SANZAR announced the signing of a new contract with the News Corporation ( for the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) and Supersport ( South Africa ). For the next five years, thus SANZAR took a 323 million U.S. dollars, representing an annual increase of 16% compared to the previous contract. Involved were the Super 14 and international matches. SANZAR reserved the right to separate agreements for other markets such as Japan, France and America. With this new contract was accompanied by the expansion of the competition. Australia and South Africa each received a new team. However, the Pacific Islands and Argentina took continue to not participate. The proposal, Super 14 split into two divisions, each with seven teams, was discarded.

In 2005 it was announced that the new Australian team come from Perth and will be called Western Force. After a long discussion in South Africa SANZAR decided in 2006 that continues to the four established teams will play in the Super 14, supplemented by the South African Central Cheetahs. The pursuit of the final match of the season in 2006, both for visitors and for television viewers through dense fog in the AMI Stadium in Christchurch extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. The game remained under the name of Gorillas in the Mist in memory, based on the eponymous film. In the 2007 season, missing 22 players in the All Blacks in the first seven rounds of the tournament, as they completed in preparation for the 2007 World Cup, a conditioning program. At the end of the regular season was the first time since 1998 no Australian team in the semifinals for the first time ever, made ​​two South African teams the final among themselves.

Expansion to 15 teams

There were reports that South Africa after 2010 could possibly withdraw from the Super 14. In this context has been speculation that the South African team would rather participate in a tournament with European clubs, as it would be thus almost no time shift and the travel conditions would be enjoyable. The reports also sounded by that South African officials feel disadvantaged, especially because of the many away games during the tournament and the long flights associated for their teams. On the other hand, brought the President of the South African Rugby Union, Oregan Hoskins, with the possibility of participation of Argentina in the Tri Nations his idea of two Argentine teams in the Super 14 for expression that would expand the tournament to the " Super 16 ".

After prolonged negotiations, SANZAR presented on 19 May 2009 a plan to expand the championship from the 2011 season. He reached on a proposal from the Australian Rugby Union, which foresaw three National Conferences, so that within the participating countries more games can be played with each other. The start of the season was set to fix the end of February, so that there is the end of the season at the beginning of August is no overlap with the national championships. In addition, there in June a three-week break for international matches ( at the express request of the South African Association ). On 11 November 2009 SANZAR announced that Melbourne Storm will be the fifth Australian franchise in 2011 and the 15er - supplemented participants.

Greg Peters, President of SARU, announced in February 2012 that the addition of teams from Australia, Japan and the United States from 2016 is possible if the currently running TV contract is renewed. Especially in Japan and the United States is an increasing interest in Rugby expected because the sport is olympic this year.

Men

2013 incorporate the following Teams in Super Rugby in part:

2007 should the Southern Spears from Port Elizabeth to replace the weakest South African team for the 2006 season. After personnel changes at the top of the South African Rugby Union ( SARU ), this decision was, in terms of financial problems of Spears, reviewed and withdrawn. The Spears challenged this decision and received in August 2006 before the Supreme Court of South Africa a reprieve. The financial and organizational problems remained unresolved and in November 2006, Spears and the SARU agreed in a court settlement. Then let the Spears of its action fall and remained as a legal person exist, but took in the years to not participate in the competition. Although there is no official connection, the remaining parts of the Spears were effectively than Southern Kings reconstituted. After the Kings had tried unsuccessfully for a license in 2011 (which went to the Melbourne Rebels ), they take 2013 instead of the Lions in Super Rugby in part.

Cup

The first Super Rugby trophy is made ​​of sterling silver and shows the Super -14 logo on a globe sitting on a tapering upwards and slightly twisted pedestal. The 49 cm high and 2.7 -pound trophy was made ​​by Jens Hansen Gold and Silver Smith in Nelson in more than two months of work. This Elven-smiths had the gold ring for Peter Jackson's film version produced by Lord of the Rings. Was first presented to the public the Cup on 7 February 2006 in Wellington.

The extension to Super Rugby with 15 teams in 2011 required the production of a new Cup. It is an 18 -kg and 65 cm high trophy made ​​of stainless steel with a reflective surface, designed by the company Blue Sky Design and manufactured by Box and Dice (both in Sydney). The presentation of the new trophy was made on 30 June 2011.

Winner

• Crusaders: 7 tracks
• Blues: 3 title
• Bulls: 3 title
• Brumbies: 2 title
• Chiefs: 2 title
• Reds: 1 items

Records and Statistics

Men

• Highest score: 96 - 96:19 Crusaders Waratahs (2002)
• Highest profit margin: 89 - Bulls 92:3 Reds (2007)
• Highest score achieved abroad: 72 - 72:65 Chiefs Lions (2010)
• Most consecutive wins: 15 - Crusaders (2002/ 03)
• Most consecutive defeats: 17 - Lions (2009-2011)
• Most attempts in a game: 14 - 96:19 Crusaders Waratahs (2002)
• Most attempts in a season: 71 - Crusaders (2005)
• Fewest attempts in a season: 15 - Blues ( 1999 and 2000), Reds (2007)
• Most wins in a season: 14 - Stormers (2012 )
• Fewest wins in a season: 0 - Bulls (2002), Lions (2010)
• Longest winning streak to private space: 26 - Crusaders (2004-2006)

Player

In the Super Rugby career:

• Points: 1388 - Daniel Carter, Crusaders
• Games: 162 - Nathan Sharpe, Reds and Western Force
• Attempts: 59 - Doug Howlett, Blues (55) Highlanders (3) Hurricanes ( 1)
• Increases: 185 - Daniel Carter, Crusaders
• Penalty kicks: 202 - Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
• Drop Goals: 23 - Morne Steyn, Bulls

In a season:

• Points: 263 - Morné Steyn, Bulls (2010) and Aaron Cruden, Chiefs (2012 )
• Attempts: 15 - Joe Roff, Brumbies (1997) and Rico Gear, Crusaders (2005)
• Increases: 51 - Stirling Mortlock, Brumbies (2004)
• Penalty kicks: 51 - Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders (1999)
• Drop Goals: 11 - Morne 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 )