العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolSUPER 14
(Redirected from Super 12)
The 'Super 14' is the largest rugby union football club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The fourteen sides all compete against one another, with no divisional or pool system. Each team plays 13 games during the regular season which runs for fourteen weeks.
The teams in the top four places on the competition ladder after the regular season enter the finals leg of the tournament. The semi-finals are contested to decide the two finalists, which is played at the highest ranked winners' home ground, as opposed to a pre-selected neutral venue.
The current competition was inaugurated in 1996, and from the first season through to 2005, the competition was known as 'Super 12'; the name change came about following the expansion for the 2006 season. The term 'Super Rugby' is sometimes used when talking about the Super 14 and Super 12 collectively. Matches are now broadcast in 41 countries.[1]
The Super 14 is a round-robin competition where each team plays every other team once; a team has six or seven home games, and six or seven away games each. There are 91 regular season games in total.[2] Games are held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye. The Super 14 uses the Rugby union bonus points system. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then play semifinals - the first placed team hosts the fourth placed team, and the second placed team hosts the third placed team. The two winners then play the final at the home ground of the top surviving seed.
Main articles: SANZAR
SANZAR is a joint union between the South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby Unions, that oversees the Super 14 and Tri Nations. There have always been rumours that South Africa may one day leave the Super 14 and Tri Nations to join the Six Nations in the Northern Hemisphere due to the the fact that South Africa's timezone would suit the move.[3] The Tri Nations takes place after the Super 14 season, between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
During the last season of the Super 12, Coast Design, Sydney was commissioned to design a new logo for the Super 14.[4] The Super 14 logo breaks away from the traditional shield formats, common to many sporting codes, and uses Roman numerals (XIV) which is unique for sport in the region.[5] The game's dynamism and speed are suggested by the orbiting rugby ball which has three distinct stitches, a subtle reference to the three countries of the tournament.
Prior to the expansion to the Super 14, the Super 12 used a logo in the shape of a shield, which had the sponsors name at the top, and then the words "Rugby" and "Super 12". The lower half of the logo used three different coloured stripes, green, black and gold (in reality, yellow), the respective colours of the national teams of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
The naming rights for the competition are different in the three countries:
★ In New Zealand, sporting goods retailer Rebel Sport has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Rebel Sport Super 14'. Previously Ubix and then Telecom New Zealand (TNZ).
★ In Australia, the Investec Bank has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Investec Super 14'. Previously the ''Tooheys New Super 14'', after the Tooheys New brand of the Tooheys brewery.[6]
★ In South Africa, telecommunications company Vodacom has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Vodacom Super 14'.
Before 1996, regular competitive rugby union had taken shape in a number of southern hemisphere competitions, the earliest of which was the South Pacific Championship, which was launched in 1986. The original competition consisted of three teams from New Zealand; Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington along with two Australian teams; Queensland and New South Wales, and Fiji. The competition was relaunched as the Super Six (or the Super Sixes) in 1992, following Australia's win at the 1991 World Cup. The competition proved so popular that it was restructured again following the first Super Six season. The competition was renamed the Super 10 (or the Super Tens) , which introduced South African teams, as well as Western Samoa in 1993 and 1994, and Tonga in 1995, with Fiji not participating.
Following the success of the 1995 World Cup Australia, New Zealand and South Africa rugby boards formed SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to administer an annual 12-team provincial competition pitting regional teams of the then three strongest rugby nations against each other. In addition it was decided to hold an annual Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries. A significant reason for the development of the Super 12 was the threat to rugby union from rival football code rugby league; especially in Australia and New Zealand where league had a significant following. When the new rugby league competition the Super League was formed, it threatened to entice the best rugby union players to play rugby league because of significantly higher salaries being offered to its players. Another strong reason was the introduction, in Australia especially, of pay (or subscription) television. A key part of the business model for the Foxtel pay TV network in Australia was to attract subscribers by offering an exclusive product (such as rugby union) which could not be seen on free-to-air broadcast television. By setting up the Super 12, the Unions had a product that was in demand from viewers, enabling them to sell a 10 year contract for exclusive television rights to News Corp for US$ 555 million, giving them both coverage and financial support to kickstart the new competition.[7]
So with significant sponsorship and rugby turning a professional sport in 1995, the Super 12 competition successfully kicked off in 1996 with five domestic New Zealand, four domestic South African and three domestic Australian teams competing. New Zealands dominance of the competition began in the first year when the Auckland Blues won the inaugural competition deafeating South African side the Natal Sharks 45 - 21 in a home final. The Blues would repeat the success of 1996 beating Australian side the ACT Brumbies 23 - 7 in the 1997 final.
The men from Auckland then reached their third straight final in 1998 but went down to fellow countrymen the Canterbury Crusaders 13 - 20. This would mark the beginning of the Crusaders three-year dynasty as they went on to win the 1999 and 2000 finals over the Otago Highlanders & ACT Brumbies respectively. The 2001 season was the first in which no New Zealand franchise reached the final, it was contested between the ACT Brumbies and Natal Sharks where the Brumbies were convincing winners with a 36 - 6 victory.
From the early 2000s Australia started to push for the inclusion of a fourth Australian team, and South Africa for another team from its country. There was also speculation of including a team from the South Pacific Island nations, such as Fiji; or a combined Pacific Islanders team from Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Argentina was also pushing for inclusion in the Super 12. New Zealand powerhouses the Crusaders won their 4th final in 2002 and missed out on their 5th in 2003 with a four-point loss to fellow countrymen the Blues. In 2004 the Brumbies took revenge on their 2000 final loss to the Crusaders defeating them 47 - 38 in front of a home crowd. The Crusaders would bounce back to win the 2005 final 35 - 25 against the Australian side the New South Wales Waratahs who reached their first ever final. It was the last year of the 12 team format.
In September 2004, SANZAR began negotiations for a new television deal to take effect in 2006. That December, SANZAR announced that a new TV deal had been signed, with News Corporation winning the rights for the UK, Australia and New Zealand and Supersport winning rights for South Africa. The contract is worth USD 323 million over five years, which is a 16% annual increase compared to the previous deal. It covers international fixtures as well as the Super 14. SANZAR remained free to negotiate separate deals for other markets, such as France, Japan and the Americas.
Under the new deal, Australia and South Africa each got one extra team in the competition, and a third round of fixtures was added to the Tri Nations Series. The proposal also included the possibility of splitting the updated Super 14 into two seven-team divisions, but it was decided to keep the competition in its traditional single-table format. However, Argentina and the Pacific Islands remain shut out of the competition under this proposal.
It was confirmed in 2005 that the new Australian team in the competition will be based in Perth and was named the Western Force. The addition of the new South African team led to considerable controversy, including government involvement. Finally, the five teams for 2006 were confirmed to be the country's existing four teams, plus the Central Cheetahs, which will draw its players from the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces.
The two new teams didn't perform all that well, the South African franchise the Cheetahs did the best of the two teams finishing 10th on the ladder notching up 5 season wins. While the Australian franchise the Western Force only managed one victory and ended winning the wooden spoon as last placed 14th. The highlight for the Force was a 23-all draw against eventual champions the Crusaders, who defeated first-time finalists the Wellington Hurricanes 19 - 12.
For the 2007 season, 22 All Blacks missed the competition's first seven rounds as part of an All Black "conditioning programme".[8] The conditioning programme was a part of the All Blacks' 2007 Rugby World Cup preparations, and every New Zealand franchise were without players for the first seven rounds.[9][10]
At the end of the regular season, for the first time since 1998, no Australian franchise had made the semi-finals. Although the Brumbies were strong and the Western Force experienced vast improvement it was a poor season for the Queensland Reds & Waratahs who finished last and second last respectiveley. Also, it was known before the final that the competition would be won for the first time ever by a South African team, as the Sharks and Bulls, who finished 1-2 on the season ladder, both won their respective semifinals. The final, held in Durban, saw the visiting Bulls win 20-19.
There have been reports that South Africa may withdraw from the Super 14 post-2010. It has been speculated that South Africa may want to align themselves with European nations instead, due to the better time zone and travel issues. There are reports that South African officials feel they are disadvantaged due to the long away legs of the tournament.[11]
On the other hand, with the possibility of Argentina joining the Tri Nations, the South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins expressed his desire for two Argentina teams be included into the competition, expanding it to a "Super 16". [12]
However, it is more likely that at least one franchise of any future expansion would go to Australia, so as to even out the amount of teams from each currently competing nation (New Zealand and South Africa currently have 5 teams each, Australia only has 4.) In this case, Melbourne, whose bid for the fourth Australian Super 14 team failed in 2005, would be the preferred home for a fifth Australian franchise.
Expansion of the Super 14 will likely take place at the conclusion of the current broadcast contract with News Corporation, at the end of the 2010 season.
Main articles: Super 14 franchise areas
For the 2007 season, the Southern Spears, based in Port Elizabeth, were originally intended to replace the lowest-finishing South African team from the 2006 competition. However, the existing South African Super 14 franchises opposed the plan, which they believed was pushed through by controversial former president of the South African Rugby Union, Brian van Rooyen. On 19 April 2006, after van Rooyen was ousted as president, SARU announced that the Spears would not enter the competition.[13] SARU then called for an investigation into the viability of the Spears after discovering the franchise had serious financial irregularities.[14]
In August, 2006, a High Court of South Africa ruling stated that the Spears had a valid contract with SANZAR and SARU to compete in the Super 14 and Currie Cup. However, due to the organisation's financial and administrative troubles, in November 2006 a settlement was reached. The Spears abandoned their legal case, and will continue to exist, however they now will not compete in the Super 14.[15]
'Super 12'
Main articles: Super 12 champions
'Super 14'
Main articles: Super 14 champions
'Total wins'
'Wins by Country'
Main articles: Super 14 trophy
The Super 14 trophy is sterling silver and has the competition logo on a globe which sits atop of a four-sided twisted spiral; it stands at 49 centimetres high and weighs 2.7 kilogram.[16] Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith in Nelson, New Zealand hand made the trophy which took over two months to make; the same workshop made the gold ring in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
On February 7th, a new Super 14 trophy was unveiled in Wellington, New Zealand for the expanded competition. In the first Super 14 final, played at Jade Stadium, in Christchurch, on May 27 2006, the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 19-12.
There are several other trophies contested during the competition; the Charles Anderson VC Memorial Cup between the Brumbies and Stormers, the Bob Templeton Cup between the Reds and Waratahs, and the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy between the Blues and Highlanders.
Main articles: List of Super Rugby records
★ 'Highest score:' 96 – Crusaders v Waratahs (19), 2002
★ 'Lowest score:' 0 – Bulls v Brumbies (15), 1999; Cats v Brumbies (64), 2000; Bulls v Highlanders (23), 2005; Brumbies v Blues (17), 2006; Reds v Brumbies (36), 2007; Force v Crusaders (53)
★ 'Lowest combined score:' Brumbies vs Reds (6-3) 2007
★ 'Highest winning margin:' 89 – Bulls v Reds (92-3), 2007
★ 'Highest score away:' 60 – Blues v Hurricanes (7), 2002
★ 'Most consecutive wins:' 15 – Crusaders, 2002/03
★ 'Most consecutive losses:' 11 – Bulls, 2002
★ 'Most tries in a match:' 14 – Crusaders v Waratahs, 2002
★ 'Most tries in a season:' 71 – Crusaders, 2005
★ 'Fewest tries in a season:' 15 – Blues, 1999, 2000; Reds, 2007
★ 'Most wins in a season:' 11 – Crusaders, 2002 regular season
★ 'Fewest wins in a season:' 0 – Bulls, 2002 regular season
★ 'Most wins in a row at home:' 26 – Crusaders, 2004-2007
★ 'Points:' 50 – Gavin Lawless, Sharks
★ 'Tries:' 4 – Joe Roff, Brumbies; Gavin Lawless, Stefan Terblanche, both Sharks
★ 'Conversions:' 13 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
★ 'Penalties:' 8 – Jannie Kruger, Derick Hougaard, Bulls
★ 'Points:' 926 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
★ 'Tries:' 58 Doug Howlett, Blues
★ 'Conversions:' 148 – Matt Burke, Waratahs
★ 'Penalties:' 195 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
★ 'Points:' 221 – Daniel Carter, Crusaders, 2006
★ 'Tries:' 15 - Joe Roff, Brumbies, 1997; Rico Gear, Crusaders, 2005
★ 'Conversions:' 39 – Stirling Mortlock, Brumbies, 2000
★ 'Penalties:' 43 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders, 1999
Each respective country competing in the Super 14 has a number of their own domestic leagues, which feed into Super franchises. South Africa actually used their Currie Cup teams as opposed to creating new franchises during the earlier years of the Super 12. However, the Currie Cup is now the third tier of rugby in South Africa, below Test and Super, it is played after the Super 14 season, and all clubs are aligned to a franchise, though it is mainly the big five, the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Natal Sharks, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province which contribute the most the Super 14 sides.
In New Zealand, the Air New Zealand Cup is the most prominent domestic tournament below the Super 14, in which all the respective Unions are also aligned with Super franchises.
In Australia, a new national club competition has been launched in 2007, called the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship. It has been developed to bridge the gap between Super 14 and club rugby, and will be similar to the Currie Cup and Air New Zealand Cup. It will consist of ten teams; Sydney Fleet, Central Coast Rays, Western Sydney Rams (from New South Wales), Ballymore Tornadoes, East Coast Aces (from Queensland), Perth Spirit (from Western Australia), Melbourne Rebels (from Victoria) and the Canberra Vikings (from ACT). [17]
The competition will commence on 10 August, played in a round-robin format, with the Grand Final to be played on 14 October.
The Super 14 is broadcast on M-Net in South Africa, SKY Network Television in New Zealand, and on FOX Sports in Australia. In 2004, the Seven Network said it had no interest in the then Super 12 competition because of poor ratings.[18] There is also a problem with the different time zones between the three nations, which can make it difficult for fans to watch games when their team is playing away. The Super 14 is now broadcast in over 40 countries.
The Super 14 competition is featured in the Electronic Arts (EA) Rugby series. See Rugby 06.
★ Super 14 franchise areas
★ List of Super 14 stadiums
★ List of Super Rugby records
★ Super 14 trophy
★ Super 12 champions
★ Super 14 champions
1. Super 14 to be broadcast into 41 countries
2. 2007 Super 14 Fixtures
3. Sanzar relations 'fine' claims NZRU boss
4.
5. SANZAR launches Super 14 logo
6. [1]
7. More for players in new SANZAR deal
8. All Blacks pulled out of the Super 14
9. Henry reveals his 'World Cup team'
10. Getting the balance in Super 14 David Leggat
11. Report: SA could bow out of Super 14
12. Could Tri Nations become four?
13. It is official: Spears shafted
14. Spears' CEO to be held accountable
15. Spears abandon their Super conquest
16. Media Release
17. Mazda Australian Rugby Championship
18. Ten lands World Cup rights
★ The Passion - The Stories Behind 125 years of Canterbury Rugby, , Phil, Gifford, Wilson Scott Publishing, , ISBN 0-9582535-1-X
★ SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby, , Bob, Howitt, Harper Collins Publishers, , ISBN 1-86950-566-2
★
★ Super 14 website - latest news, teams etc
★ FOX Sports Australia Super 14 section
★ Super 14 from itsrugby.co.uk
★ Super 14 news from Planet Rugby
★ Super 14 Prediction Game
★ Super 14 Fans New Articles
The 'Super 14' is the largest rugby union football club championship in the southern hemisphere, consisting of provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The fourteen sides all compete against one another, with no divisional or pool system. Each team plays 13 games during the regular season which runs for fourteen weeks.
The teams in the top four places on the competition ladder after the regular season enter the finals leg of the tournament. The semi-finals are contested to decide the two finalists, which is played at the highest ranked winners' home ground, as opposed to a pre-selected neutral venue.
The current competition was inaugurated in 1996, and from the first season through to 2005, the competition was known as 'Super 12'; the name change came about following the expansion for the 2006 season. The term 'Super Rugby' is sometimes used when talking about the Super 14 and Super 12 collectively. Matches are now broadcast in 41 countries.[1]
Competition format and sponsorship
Format
Western Force (Blue) kicking off to the New South Wales Waratahs (White).
The Super 14 is a round-robin competition where each team plays every other team once; a team has six or seven home games, and six or seven away games each. There are 91 regular season games in total.[2] Games are held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye. The Super 14 uses the Rugby union bonus points system. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then play semifinals - the first placed team hosts the fourth placed team, and the second placed team hosts the third placed team. The two winners then play the final at the home ground of the top surviving seed.
SANZAR
Main articles: SANZAR
SANZAR is a joint union between the South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby Unions, that oversees the Super 14 and Tri Nations. There have always been rumours that South Africa may one day leave the Super 14 and Tri Nations to join the Six Nations in the Northern Hemisphere due to the the fact that South Africa's timezone would suit the move.[3] The Tri Nations takes place after the Super 14 season, between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Logo
The Super 12 logo, prior to expansion.
During the last season of the Super 12, Coast Design, Sydney was commissioned to design a new logo for the Super 14.[4] The Super 14 logo breaks away from the traditional shield formats, common to many sporting codes, and uses Roman numerals (XIV) which is unique for sport in the region.[5] The game's dynamism and speed are suggested by the orbiting rugby ball which has three distinct stitches, a subtle reference to the three countries of the tournament.
Prior to the expansion to the Super 14, the Super 12 used a logo in the shape of a shield, which had the sponsors name at the top, and then the words "Rugby" and "Super 12". The lower half of the logo used three different coloured stripes, green, black and gold (in reality, yellow), the respective colours of the national teams of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
Naming rights
The naming rights for the competition are different in the three countries:
★ In New Zealand, sporting goods retailer Rebel Sport has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Rebel Sport Super 14'. Previously Ubix and then Telecom New Zealand (TNZ).
★ In Australia, the Investec Bank has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Investec Super 14'. Previously the ''Tooheys New Super 14'', after the Tooheys New brand of the Tooheys brewery.[6]
★ In South Africa, telecommunications company Vodacom has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the 'Vodacom Super 14'.
History
Super 6 & Super 10
Before 1996, regular competitive rugby union had taken shape in a number of southern hemisphere competitions, the earliest of which was the South Pacific Championship, which was launched in 1986. The original competition consisted of three teams from New Zealand; Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington along with two Australian teams; Queensland and New South Wales, and Fiji. The competition was relaunched as the Super Six (or the Super Sixes) in 1992, following Australia's win at the 1991 World Cup. The competition proved so popular that it was restructured again following the first Super Six season. The competition was renamed the Super 10 (or the Super Tens) , which introduced South African teams, as well as Western Samoa in 1993 and 1994, and Tonga in 1995, with Fiji not participating.
Super 12
Following the success of the 1995 World Cup Australia, New Zealand and South Africa rugby boards formed SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to administer an annual 12-team provincial competition pitting regional teams of the then three strongest rugby nations against each other. In addition it was decided to hold an annual Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries. A significant reason for the development of the Super 12 was the threat to rugby union from rival football code rugby league; especially in Australia and New Zealand where league had a significant following. When the new rugby league competition the Super League was formed, it threatened to entice the best rugby union players to play rugby league because of significantly higher salaries being offered to its players. Another strong reason was the introduction, in Australia especially, of pay (or subscription) television. A key part of the business model for the Foxtel pay TV network in Australia was to attract subscribers by offering an exclusive product (such as rugby union) which could not be seen on free-to-air broadcast television. By setting up the Super 12, the Unions had a product that was in demand from viewers, enabling them to sell a 10 year contract for exclusive television rights to News Corp for US$ 555 million, giving them both coverage and financial support to kickstart the new competition.[7]
So with significant sponsorship and rugby turning a professional sport in 1995, the Super 12 competition successfully kicked off in 1996 with five domestic New Zealand, four domestic South African and three domestic Australian teams competing. New Zealands dominance of the competition began in the first year when the Auckland Blues won the inaugural competition deafeating South African side the Natal Sharks 45 - 21 in a home final. The Blues would repeat the success of 1996 beating Australian side the ACT Brumbies 23 - 7 in the 1997 final.
The men from Auckland then reached their third straight final in 1998 but went down to fellow countrymen the Canterbury Crusaders 13 - 20. This would mark the beginning of the Crusaders three-year dynasty as they went on to win the 1999 and 2000 finals over the Otago Highlanders & ACT Brumbies respectively. The 2001 season was the first in which no New Zealand franchise reached the final, it was contested between the ACT Brumbies and Natal Sharks where the Brumbies were convincing winners with a 36 - 6 victory.
From the early 2000s Australia started to push for the inclusion of a fourth Australian team, and South Africa for another team from its country. There was also speculation of including a team from the South Pacific Island nations, such as Fiji; or a combined Pacific Islanders team from Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Argentina was also pushing for inclusion in the Super 12. New Zealand powerhouses the Crusaders won their 4th final in 2002 and missed out on their 5th in 2003 with a four-point loss to fellow countrymen the Blues. In 2004 the Brumbies took revenge on their 2000 final loss to the Crusaders defeating them 47 - 38 in front of a home crowd. The Crusaders would bounce back to win the 2005 final 35 - 25 against the Australian side the New South Wales Waratahs who reached their first ever final. It was the last year of the 12 team format.
Super 14
In September 2004, SANZAR began negotiations for a new television deal to take effect in 2006. That December, SANZAR announced that a new TV deal had been signed, with News Corporation winning the rights for the UK, Australia and New Zealand and Supersport winning rights for South Africa. The contract is worth USD 323 million over five years, which is a 16% annual increase compared to the previous deal. It covers international fixtures as well as the Super 14. SANZAR remained free to negotiate separate deals for other markets, such as France, Japan and the Americas.
Under the new deal, Australia and South Africa each got one extra team in the competition, and a third round of fixtures was added to the Tri Nations Series. The proposal also included the possibility of splitting the updated Super 14 into two seven-team divisions, but it was decided to keep the competition in its traditional single-table format. However, Argentina and the Pacific Islands remain shut out of the competition under this proposal.
It was confirmed in 2005 that the new Australian team in the competition will be based in Perth and was named the Western Force. The addition of the new South African team led to considerable controversy, including government involvement. Finally, the five teams for 2006 were confirmed to be the country's existing four teams, plus the Central Cheetahs, which will draw its players from the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces.
The Cats (now the Lions) playing the Sharks.
The two new teams didn't perform all that well, the South African franchise the Cheetahs did the best of the two teams finishing 10th on the ladder notching up 5 season wins. While the Australian franchise the Western Force only managed one victory and ended winning the wooden spoon as last placed 14th. The highlight for the Force was a 23-all draw against eventual champions the Crusaders, who defeated first-time finalists the Wellington Hurricanes 19 - 12.
For the 2007 season, 22 All Blacks missed the competition's first seven rounds as part of an All Black "conditioning programme".[8] The conditioning programme was a part of the All Blacks' 2007 Rugby World Cup preparations, and every New Zealand franchise were without players for the first seven rounds.[9][10]
At the end of the regular season, for the first time since 1998, no Australian franchise had made the semi-finals. Although the Brumbies were strong and the Western Force experienced vast improvement it was a poor season for the Queensland Reds & Waratahs who finished last and second last respectiveley. Also, it was known before the final that the competition would be won for the first time ever by a South African team, as the Sharks and Bulls, who finished 1-2 on the season ladder, both won their respective semifinals. The final, held in Durban, saw the visiting Bulls win 20-19.
Future of the Super 14
There have been reports that South Africa may withdraw from the Super 14 post-2010. It has been speculated that South Africa may want to align themselves with European nations instead, due to the better time zone and travel issues. There are reports that South African officials feel they are disadvantaged due to the long away legs of the tournament.[11]
On the other hand, with the possibility of Argentina joining the Tri Nations, the South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins expressed his desire for two Argentina teams be included into the competition, expanding it to a "Super 16". [12]
However, it is more likely that at least one franchise of any future expansion would go to Australia, so as to even out the amount of teams from each currently competing nation (New Zealand and South Africa currently have 5 teams each, Australia only has 4.) In this case, Melbourne, whose bid for the fourth Australian Super 14 team failed in 2005, would be the preferred home for a fifth Australian franchise.
Expansion of the Super 14 will likely take place at the conclusion of the current broadcast contract with News Corporation, at the end of the 2010 season.
Teams
Main articles: Super 14 franchise areas
For the 2007 season, the Southern Spears, based in Port Elizabeth, were originally intended to replace the lowest-finishing South African team from the 2006 competition. However, the existing South African Super 14 franchises opposed the plan, which they believed was pushed through by controversial former president of the South African Rugby Union, Brian van Rooyen. On 19 April 2006, after van Rooyen was ousted as president, SARU announced that the Spears would not enter the competition.[13] SARU then called for an investigation into the viability of the Spears after discovering the franchise had serious financial irregularities.[14]
In August, 2006, a High Court of South Africa ruling stated that the Spears had a valid contract with SANZAR and SARU to compete in the Super 14 and Currie Cup. However, due to the organisation's financial and administrative troubles, in November 2006 a settlement was reached. The Spears abandoned their legal case, and will continue to exist, however they now will not compete in the Super 14.[15]
Past winners
'Super 12'
Main articles: Super 12 champions
| Year | Final | Losing semi-finalists | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 1st losing semi-finalist | 2nd losing semi-finalist | |||
| 1996 ''Details'' | 'Blues' | '45 - 21' | Sharks | Reds | Bulls | ||
| 1997 ''Details'' | 'Blues' | '23 - 7' | Brumbies | Hurricanes | Sharks | ||
| 1998 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '20 - 13' | Blues | Sharks | Highlanders | ||
| 1999 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '24 - 19' | Highlanders | Reds | Stormers | ||
| 2000 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '20 - 19' | Brumbies | Highlanders | Cats | ||
| 2001 ''Details'' | 'Brumbies' | '36 - 6' | Sharks | Cats | Reds | ||
| 2002 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '31 - 13' | Brumbies | Waratahs | Highlanders | ||
| 2003 ''Details'' | 'Blues' | '21 - 17' | Crusaders | Hurricanes | Brumbies | ||
| 2004 ''Details'' | 'Brumbies' | '47 - 38' | Crusaders | Stormers | Chiefs | ||
| 2005 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '35 - 25' | Waratahs | Bulls | Hurricanes | ||
'Super 14'
Main articles: Super 14 champions
| Year | Final | Losing semi-finalists | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 1st losing semi-finalist | 2nd losing semi-finalist | |||
| 2006 ''Details'' | 'Crusaders' | '19 - 12' | Hurricanes | Waratahs | Bulls | ||
| 2007 ''Details'' | 'Bulls' | '20 - 19' | Sharks | Crusaders | Blues | ||
Crusaders scrum against the Brumbies in May 2006
'Total wins'
| Team | Wins | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Crusaders | 6 | 2 |
| Blues | 3 | 1 |
| Brumbies | 2 | 3 |
| Bulls | 1 | 0 |
| Sharks | 0 | 3 |
| Highlanders | 0 | 1 |
| Waratahs | 0 | 1 |
| Hurricanes | 0 | 1 |
'Wins by Country'
| Country | Wins | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 5 | |
| 2 | 4 | |
| 1 | 3 |
Trophies
The Super 14 trophy
Main articles: Super 14 trophy
The Super 14 trophy is sterling silver and has the competition logo on a globe which sits atop of a four-sided twisted spiral; it stands at 49 centimetres high and weighs 2.7 kilogram.[16] Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith in Nelson, New Zealand hand made the trophy which took over two months to make; the same workshop made the gold ring in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
On February 7th, a new Super 14 trophy was unveiled in Wellington, New Zealand for the expanded competition. In the first Super 14 final, played at Jade Stadium, in Christchurch, on May 27 2006, the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 19-12.
There are several other trophies contested during the competition; the Charles Anderson VC Memorial Cup between the Brumbies and Stormers, the Bob Templeton Cup between the Reds and Waratahs, and the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy between the Blues and Highlanders.
Super rugby records
Main articles: List of Super Rugby records
Team records
★ 'Highest score:' 96 – Crusaders v Waratahs (19), 2002
★ 'Lowest score:' 0 – Bulls v Brumbies (15), 1999; Cats v Brumbies (64), 2000; Bulls v Highlanders (23), 2005; Brumbies v Blues (17), 2006; Reds v Brumbies (36), 2007; Force v Crusaders (53)
★ 'Lowest combined score:' Brumbies vs Reds (6-3) 2007
★ 'Highest winning margin:' 89 – Bulls v Reds (92-3), 2007
★ 'Highest score away:' 60 – Blues v Hurricanes (7), 2002
★ 'Most consecutive wins:' 15 – Crusaders, 2002/03
★ 'Most consecutive losses:' 11 – Bulls, 2002
★ 'Most tries in a match:' 14 – Crusaders v Waratahs, 2002
★ 'Most tries in a season:' 71 – Crusaders, 2005
★ 'Fewest tries in a season:' 15 – Blues, 1999, 2000; Reds, 2007
★ 'Most wins in a season:' 11 – Crusaders, 2002 regular season
★ 'Fewest wins in a season:' 0 – Bulls, 2002 regular season
★ 'Most wins in a row at home:' 26 – Crusaders, 2004-2007
Individual records
Match
★ 'Points:' 50 – Gavin Lawless, Sharks
★ 'Tries:' 4 – Joe Roff, Brumbies; Gavin Lawless, Stefan Terblanche, both Sharks
★ 'Conversions:' 13 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
★ 'Penalties:' 8 – Jannie Kruger, Derick Hougaard, Bulls
Career
★ 'Points:' 926 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
★ 'Tries:' 58 Doug Howlett, Blues
★ 'Conversions:' 148 – Matt Burke, Waratahs
★ 'Penalties:' 195 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
Season
★ 'Points:' 221 – Daniel Carter, Crusaders, 2006
★ 'Tries:' 15 - Joe Roff, Brumbies, 1997; Rico Gear, Crusaders, 2005
★ 'Conversions:' 39 – Stirling Mortlock, Brumbies, 2000
★ 'Penalties:' 43 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders, 1999
Domestic competitions
Each respective country competing in the Super 14 has a number of their own domestic leagues, which feed into Super franchises. South Africa actually used their Currie Cup teams as opposed to creating new franchises during the earlier years of the Super 12. However, the Currie Cup is now the third tier of rugby in South Africa, below Test and Super, it is played after the Super 14 season, and all clubs are aligned to a franchise, though it is mainly the big five, the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions, Natal Sharks, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province which contribute the most the Super 14 sides.
In New Zealand, the Air New Zealand Cup is the most prominent domestic tournament below the Super 14, in which all the respective Unions are also aligned with Super franchises.
In Australia, a new national club competition has been launched in 2007, called the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship. It has been developed to bridge the gap between Super 14 and club rugby, and will be similar to the Currie Cup and Air New Zealand Cup. It will consist of ten teams; Sydney Fleet, Central Coast Rays, Western Sydney Rams (from New South Wales), Ballymore Tornadoes, East Coast Aces (from Queensland), Perth Spirit (from Western Australia), Melbourne Rebels (from Victoria) and the Canberra Vikings (from ACT). [17]
The competition will commence on 10 August, played in a round-robin format, with the Grand Final to be played on 14 October.
Media
The Super 14 is broadcast on M-Net in South Africa, SKY Network Television in New Zealand, and on FOX Sports in Australia. In 2004, the Seven Network said it had no interest in the then Super 12 competition because of poor ratings.[18] There is also a problem with the different time zones between the three nations, which can make it difficult for fans to watch games when their team is playing away. The Super 14 is now broadcast in over 40 countries.
The Super 14 competition is featured in the Electronic Arts (EA) Rugby series. See Rugby 06.
See also
★ Super 14 franchise areas
★ List of Super 14 stadiums
★ List of Super Rugby records
★ Super 14 trophy
★ Super 12 champions
★ Super 14 champions
Notes and references
1. Super 14 to be broadcast into 41 countries
2. 2007 Super 14 Fixtures
3. Sanzar relations 'fine' claims NZRU boss
4.
5. SANZAR launches Super 14 logo
6. [1]
7. More for players in new SANZAR deal
8. All Blacks pulled out of the Super 14
9. Henry reveals his 'World Cup team'
10. Getting the balance in Super 14 David Leggat
11. Report: SA could bow out of Super 14
12. Could Tri Nations become four?
13. It is official: Spears shafted
14. Spears' CEO to be held accountable
15. Spears abandon their Super conquest
16. Media Release
17. Mazda Australian Rugby Championship
18. Ten lands World Cup rights
Bibliography
★ The Passion - The Stories Behind 125 years of Canterbury Rugby, , Phil, Gifford, Wilson Scott Publishing, , ISBN 0-9582535-1-X
★ SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby, , Bob, Howitt, Harper Collins Publishers, , ISBN 1-86950-566-2
★
External links
★ Super 14 website - latest news, teams etc
★ FOX Sports Australia Super 14 section
★ Super 14 from itsrugby.co.uk
★ Super 14 news from Planet Rugby
★ Super 14 Prediction Game
★ Super 14 Fans New Articles
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
