Super Rugby: Australia Introduces Southern Season

This weekend, the Southern Hemisphere opens the first part of its season with the opening day of Australian Super Rugby, which ends on May 8. In 8 days, on February 26, it will be the same in New Zealand, where Super Rugby Aiderova will start.

Before the global game was halted by the Kovit-19 epidemic, a major competition in the Southern Hemisphere, “Classic” Super Rugby, brought together 15 owners from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan. In 2020, he was arrested in mid-March 7 days later.

100% national format updated

In contrast, only national editions were produced in Australia and New Zealand. The second edition of Australian Super Rugby, launched in the summer of 2020 and hastily merged last year as the health situation on the island-continent improved, starts again in the same format, 100% national.

The five owners – Prombies (Canberra), Reds (Brisbane), Insurgents (Melbourne), Vortex (Sydney), Western Force (Perth) – each face each other twice. The first finisher at the end of the regular season will qualify directly for the final on May 8. The second and third will compete for their place in the final of the play-offs a week earlier.

20,000 people expect

The Prampies won the first edition in September, dominating the Reds (28-23) in the final in front of 6,000 spectators. The public is expected again this year. According to the Australian media, about 20,000 people are expected to attend the first two meetings on Friday, including the Reds-Wards and the Western Forces-Broombees.

In New Zealand, the second edition, renamed Super Rugby Autorova, will also provide five rights to the Blues (Auckland), Chiefs (Hamilton), Crusaders (Christchurch), Highlanders (Dunedin) and Hurricane (Wellington).

A new international competition

The 2021 edition will begin on February 26 with the relocation of Canterbury Crusaders, who hold the title in the Highlanders meadow. It will end on May 8 with a live final between the first two. The novelty in 2021 is that a new international tournament, Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, will then take place between May 14 and June 19, in a tight format between five Australian owners and five New Zealanders.