2011 Rugby Union: New Team, New Season, New Format
The Super 14 has become the Super 15 with the inclusion of the Melbourne Rebels into the Super Rugby competition. This has necessitated a format change.
The Fundamentals ....
Each of the three competing nations – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – now has five teams who will compete in a nation-based Conference system, whereby each team will play their four local rivals on a home and away basis. This means each team will play eight games in total. In addition, each team will play four of the other five teams in each of the other two country Conferences, again on a home and away basis, meaning each team will play another eight games. Hence, each team will play 16 matches in the regular season, which differs to the previous Super Rugby format where only 13 games were played. The separate Conferences (ie, the Australian Conference, SA Conference and NZ Conference) will monitor the results within each country.
Based on the outcome of these matches, a three-week finals series involving six teams will result. Previously the finals involved two-weeks of playoffs for four teams. Now, at the end of the regular season, the top team within each Conference will qualify for the finals and will be guaranteed a home finals match. The other three teams to qualify will be the teams with the most number of competition points, regardless of the Conference they come from.
Overall, the Super Rugby Series has now expanded from 94 to 125 matches with 40 regular season matches played in each country each season. Half of the season (ie, 20 matches in each country) will be local derbies. Each team will play 12 of its 16 regular season games within its own country, with only four matches overseas.
In More Detail....
The top team in each Conference will advance to the finals in position 1, 2 or 3 based on their individual competition points total. The other three teams to qualify are those with the highest number of competition points outside of the Conference winners. Hence the teams who come in 4th, 5th and 6th may come from any Conference (or from just one Conference).
In week one of the finals series, the top two teams on the ladder will rest. Qualifier 1 will be played between Team 3 (at home) and Team 6, while Qualifier 2 will see Team 4 (at home) face Team 5. Both qualifiers are sudden-death matches meaning you have to win to stay in the finals. There are no second chance matches.
Week two of the finals series, sees the two winners of the qualifiers meeting with the top two teams. Semi Final 1 will have Team 1 (at home) playing the lowest ranked Qualifier winner and Semi Final 2 will have Team 2 (at home) playing the highest ranked Qualifier winner
Week 3 is the Final with the winner of Semi Final 1 playing the winner of Semi Final 2.
There are only two weeks until the kick off for the first game of the season. Ticket, draw and team information can be found at superrugby.com.au
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