List of Super Rugby champions

Super Rugby is the major professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere.[1] The competition began as Super 12 in 1996, consisting of 12 teams from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. An extra Australian and South African team were added in 2005 and the name was changed to Super 14. A fifteenth team joined in 2011 and the competition was rebranded as Super Rugby.[1] The current format consists of three conferences of five teams from each country. Teams play other members of their conference twice (home and away) and four teams from each of the other two conferences once. The top team in each conference and the next best three over all conferences advance to the finals.[2] In all previous formats there were no conferences and each team played every team once, with the top four progressing to the finals. The tournament is organised and governed by SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby). Super Rugby is considered a successor to the Super Six (1992) and Super 10 (1993–1995), although SANZAR did not administrate those tournaments.[3]

Contents

Competition structure

1996–2010

Every season, each team played every other Super 12 team (Super 14 from 2006) once, in a round-robin. The venues for regular season matches alternated each year, so that teams would not play one another at the same venue in consecutive seasons unless they met in the play-offs. The tournament used the rugby union bonus points system; teams were awarded four points for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. They received bonus points for scoring four or more tries in a match, and/or for a loss by seven or fewer points.[4]

After each team had completed their regular season matches, the top 4 teams qualified for the semi-finals. Semi-finals were held under a Shaughnessy playoff system; the first placed team in the table hosted the fourth placed, and second hosted third. The winner of each semi-final advanced to the final, held at the home ground of whichever team amassed more points in the round-robin table.[5]

2011–

In 2011, Melbourne Rebels joined the Super Rugby competition, meaning that Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would each be represented by five teams. The tournament format was also changed. Teams are divided into three conferences; one per country.[6] Each team plays other teams in the same conference home and away, and plays eight further matches against teams from other conferences, for a total of sixteen games.[7] Each team receives two byes throughout a season; four bye points are added to the team's total on the day a bye is allocated.[8] The highest placed team in each conference qualifies for the finals stage, along with three highest scoring teams which were not conference winners. The two highest scoring teams advance straight to the semi-finals, while the 3rd to 6th placed teams play-off to decide which two teams advance to the semis. The format of the semi-finals and final is the same as that previously used in the Super 14.[9] The bonus points system has also been retained, with the single addition that a team receives four points for each bye.[8]

Key

Symbol Meaning
Team won the season's Super Rugby competition.
Points The word "points" in the table refers to points scored on the field of play.
Diff Difference between points scored and points conceded on the field of play.
BP Bonus points
TP Table points

Tournaments

Teams mentioned are those that finished in the top 4, qualifying them for the semi-finals. Scores mentioned are written so that the team in that column is mentioned first. The highlighted team won that season's Super 12 final.[10][11]

Note. For 1996 and 1997, it was the policy of the South African Rugby Union to send the top four teams of the previous year's Currie Cup to the Super 12. This resulted in the Natal Sharks, Transvaal, Northern Transvaal and Western Province playing in 1996 and the Natal Sharks, the Gauteng Lions, Free State Cheetahs and Northern Transvaal playing in 1997. In 1998, South Africa set up four set Super 12 regions, similar to the policy adopted by the New Zealand Rugby Union. For these areas, please see Super Rugby franchise areas.[10]

Super 12 champions (1996–2005)
Year Duration Table position Team Games Points BP TP Semi score Final score Refs
played won drawn lost for against diff
1996 28 February –
31 May		 1 Reds 11 9 0 2 320 247 +73 5 41 25–43 — [12]
2 Blues 11 8 0 3 408 354 +54 9 41 48–11 45–12
3 Northern Transvaal 11 8 0 3 329 208 +121 6 38 11–48 —
4 Natal Sharks 11 6 0 5 389 277 +112 9 33 43–25 12–45
1997 1 March –
25 May
1 Blues 11 10 1 0 435 283 +152 8 50 55–36 23–7 [13]
2 Brumbies 11 8 0 3 406 291 +115 9 41 33–20 7–23
3 Hurricanes 11 6 0 5 416 314 +102 10 34 20–33 —
4 Natal Sharks 11 5 2 4 321 350 –29 6 30 36–55 —
1998 27 February –
30 May		 1 Blues 11 9 0 2 388 296 +92 7 43 37–31 13–20 [14]
2 Crusaders 11 8 0 3 340 260 +80 9 41 36–32 20–13
3 Coastal Sharks 11 7 0 4 329 263 +66 8 36 32–36 —
4 Highlanders 11 7 0 4 343 279 +64 6 34 31–37 —
1999 26 February –
30 May		 1 Reds 11 8 1 2 233 170 +63 2 36 22–28 — [15]
2 Stormers 11 8 0 3 290 244 +46 4 36 18–33 —
3 Highlanders 11 8 0 3 280 203 +77 3 35 33–18 19–24
4 Crusaders 11 7 1 3 322 262 +60 3 33 28–22 24–19
2000 25 February –
27 May		 1 Brumbies 11 9 0 2 393 196 +197 9 45 28–5 19–20 [16]
2 Crusaders 11 8 0 3 369 293 +76 7 39 37–15 20–19
3 Highlanders 11 6 0 5 310 280 +30 8 32 15–37 —
4 Cats 11 7 0 4 320 334 –14 4 32 5–28 —
2001 23 February –
26 May
1 Brumbies 11 8 0 3 348 204 +144 8 40 36–6 36–6 [17]
2 Sharks 11 8 0 3 322 246 +76 6 38 30–12 6–36
3 Cats 11 7 0 4 285 244 +41 6 34 12–30 —
4 Reds 11 6 0 5 300 277 +23 8 32 6–36 —
2002 22 February –
25 May
1 Crusaders 11 11 0 0 469 264 +205 7 51 34–23 31–13 [18]
2 Waratahs 11 8 0 3 337 284 +53 7 39 10–51 —
3 Brumbies 11 7 0 4 374 230 +144 10 38 51–10 13–31
4 Highlanders 11 8 0 3 329 207 +122 6 38 23–34 —
2003 21 February –
24 May
1 Blues 11 10 0 1 393 185 +208 9 49 42–21 21–17 [19]
2 Crusaders 11 8 0 3 358 263 +95 8 40 39–16 17–21
3 Hurricanes 11 7 0 4 324 284 +40 7 35 16–39 —
4 Brumbies 11 6 0 5 358 313 +45 7 31 21–42 —
2004 20 February –
22 May
1 Brumbies 11 8 0 3 408 269 +139 8 40 32–17 47–38 [20]
2 Crusaders 11 7 0 4 345 303 +42 6 34 27–16 38–47
3 Stormers 11 7 0 4 286 260 +26 5 33 16–27 —
4 Chiefs 11 7 0 4 274 251 +23 5 33 17–32 —
2005 25 February –
28 May
1 Crusaders 11 9 0 2 459 281 +178 9 45 47–7 35–25 [21]
2 Waratahs 11 9 0 2 322 174 +148 8 44 23–13 25–35
3 Bulls 11 7 0 4 301 229 +72 6 34 13–23 —
4 Hurricanes 11 8 0 3 281 248 +33 2 34 7–47 —
Super 14 champions (2006–2010)
Year Duration Table position Team Games Points BP TP Semi score Final score Refs
played won drawn lost for against diff
2006 February 10 –
May 27
1 Crusaders 13 11 1 1 412 210 +202 5 51 35–15 19–12 [22]
2 Hurricanes 13 10 0 3 328 226 +102 7 47 16–14 12–19
3 Waratahs 13 9 0 4 362 192 +170 9 45 14–16 —
4 Bulls 13 7 1 5 355 290 +65 7 38 15–35 —
2007 February 2 –
May 19
1 Sharks 13 10 0 3 355 214 +141 5 45 34–18 19–20 [23]
2 Bulls 13 9 0 4 388 223 +165 6 42 27–12 20–19
3 Crusaders 13 8 0 5 382 235 +147 10 42 12–27 —
4 Blues 13 9 0 4 355 235 +120 6 42 18–34 —
2008 February 15 –
May 31
1 Crusaders 13 11 0 2 369 176 +193 8 52 33–22 20–12 [24]
2 Waratahs 13 9 1 3 255 186 +69 5 43 28–13 12–20
3 Sharks 13 9 1 3 271 209 +62 4 42 13–28 —
4 Hurricanes 13 8 1 4 310 204 +106 7 41 22–33 —
2009 February 13 –
May 30
1 Bulls 13 10 0 3 338 271 +67 6 46 36–23 61–17 [25]
2 Chiefs 13 9 0 4 338 236 +102 9 45 14–10 17–61
3 Hurricanes 13 9 0 4 380 279 +101 8 44 10–14 —
4 Crusaders 13 8 1 4 231 198 +33 7 41 23–36 —
2010 February 12 –
May 29
1 Bulls 13 10 0 3 436 345 +91 7 47 39–24 25–17 [26]
2 Stormers 13 9 0 4 365 171 +194 8 44 25–6 17–25
3 Waratahs 13 9 0 4 385 288 +97 7 43 6–25 —
4 Crusaders 13 8 1 4 388 295 +93 7 41 24–39 —

Winners

By club

Team Combined Super 12 Super 14 Super 15
Crusaders 7 5 2 0
Blues 3 3 0 0
Bulls 3 0 3 0
Brumbies 2 2 0 0
Reds 1 0 0 1

By country

Country Winning teams Total wins
New Zealand Crusaders
Blues		 10
South Africa Bulls 3
Australia Brumbies
Reds		 3

References

  1. ^ a b "SANZAR release 2011 Super 15 Fixtures". Sports Digital Media. Monday 13 September 2010. http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=26975. Retrieved 25 March 2011. 
  2. ^ "How will the new Super Rugby format work?". Sports Digital Media. http://www.superxv.com/format/. Retrieved 25 March 2011. 
  3. ^ "Super 12: The history". Rugby365.com. Primedia. 23 May 2006. http://www.rugby365.com/tournaments/super14/history/. Retrieved 23 March 2011. 
  4. ^ "New points system in the works for Super Rugby". Rugbyweek. Sports Digital Media. 29 November 2010. http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=27979. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  5. ^ "Super Rugby". ESPN Scrum. http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2011/rugby/page/88032.html. Retrieved 23 March 2011. 
  6. ^ "Conferences". Australian Rugby Union. http://www.superrugby.com/conferences.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  7. ^ "Competition snapshot". Australian Rugby Union. http://www.superrugby.com/competition.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  8. ^ a b "Super Rugby standings". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2011/rugby/page/135785.html. Retrieved 23 March 2011. 
  9. ^ "Finals format". Australian Rugby Union. http://www.superrugby.com/finals-format.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  10. ^ a b McIlraith, Matt (2005). Ten Years of Super 12. Hodder Moa. ISBN 1-86971-025-8. 
  11. ^ "Match and tournament archive/ Super Rugby". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/index.html?trophy=70. Retrieved 14 March 2011. 
  12. ^ "Super 12 1996 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26006.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  13. ^ "Super 12 1997 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26007.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  14. ^ "Super 12 1998 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26008.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  15. ^ "Super 12 1999 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26009.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  16. ^ "Super 12 2000 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26010.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  17. ^ "Super 12 2001 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26011.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  18. ^ "Super 12 2002 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26012.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  19. ^ "Super 12 2003 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26013.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  20. ^ "Super 12 2004 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26014.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  21. ^ "Super 12 2005 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26015.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  22. ^ "Super 14 2006 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26016.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  23. ^ "Super 14 2007 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26020.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  24. ^ "Super 14 2008 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/series/26021.html. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  25. ^ "Super 14 2009 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/super14/rugby/series/78445.html?template=results. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
  26. ^ "Super 14 2010 results". ESPN Scrum. ESPN. http://www.espnscrum.com/super14/rugby/series/102241.html?template=results. Retrieved 22 March 2011. 
Teams
Super 12 Seasons
Super 14 Seasons
Super Rugby Seasons