Super 14
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Super 14 | |
|---|---|
 2007 Super 14 season |
|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 1996 |
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Country |  Australia New Zealand South Africa |
| Current champions | Crusaders |
The Super 14 is the largest rugby union provincial 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]
Contents |
[edit] Competition format and sponsorship
[edit] Format
The Super 14 is a round-robin competition with each team playing every other team once, with six or seven home games and six or seven away games. There are 91 regular season games in total. Games are held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye. A team receives four points for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. Teams also receive a bonus point for scoring four tries, regardless of the final result. A bonus point is also earned by a team that loses a game by seven points (a converted try) or less. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then play semifinals, with the first placed team hosting the fourth placed team and the second placed team hosting the third placed team. The two winners then play the final at the home ground of the top surviving seed.
[edit] 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 rumors that South Africa may one day leave the Super 14/Tri Nations and join the Six Nations in the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps due to the the fact that the timezone would suit the move.[2] The Tri Nations takes place after the Super 14 season, between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
[edit] Logo
During the last season of the Super 12, Coast Design, Sydney was commissioned to design a new logo for the Super 14.[3] 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.[4] 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.[4]
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, the respective colours of the national teams of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
[edit] 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.[5]
- In South Africa, telecommunications company Vodacom has naming rights and the competition is referred to as the Vodacom Super 14.
[edit] History
[edit] Early competition
Prior to 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.
[edit] Super 12
A significant reason for the development of the Super 12 was the threat to rugby union of rugby league; especially in Australia and New Zealand where league had a significant following. The Super League competition was threatening to entice players to rugby league from rugby union (which was still amateur) with large salaries.[6] Another 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.[7]
The first Super 12 series was held in 1996, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa formed SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to administer an annual 12-team provincial competition and Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries. It was born out of the success of 1995 Rugby World Cup, pitting regional teams of the then three strongest rugby nations against each other.
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.
[edit] Expansion
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.[7] 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.
[edit] 2007 and beyond
For the 2007 season, 22 All Blacks will miss the competition's first seven rounds as part of an All Black "conditioning programme".[8] The conditioning programme is part of the All Black's 2007 Rugby World Cup preparations, and every New Zealand franchise will lose players for the first seven rounds.[9][10]
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]
[edit] Teams
| Overview of teams | |||||
| Country | Team | City/Area | Stadium | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Brumbies | Australian Capital Territory. | Canberra Stadium | ||
| New South Wales Waratahs | New South Wales. | Aussie Stadium | |||
| Queensland Reds | Queensland. | Suncorp Stadium | |||
| Western Force | Western Australia. | Subiaco Oval | |||
| New Zealand | Blues | North Auckland Peninsula of North Island and most of metropolitan Auckland. | Eden Park | ||
| Chiefs | Central and eastern North Island, including Hamilton; Southern Auckland. | Waikato Stadium | |||
| Crusaders | North and central South Island, including Christchurch. | Jade Stadium | |||
| Highlanders | Southern South Island, including Dunedin. | Carisbrook | |||
| Hurricanes | Southern and southwestern North Island, including Wellington and Palmerston North. | Westpac Stadium | |||
| South Africa | Bulls | Pretoria (plus East Rand and Limpopo Province). | Loftus Versfeld | ||
| Central Cheetahs | Bloemfontein (Free State plus Northern Cape). | Free State Stadium | |||
| Lions | Johannesburg (plus Mpumalanga and North West). | Ellis Park Stadium | |||
| Sharks | Durban (KwaZulu-Natal). | Kings Park Stadium | |||
| Stormers | Cape Town (plus northern Western Cape). | Newlands Stadium | |||
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.[12] SARU then called for an investigation into the viability of the Spears after discovering the franchise had serious financial irregularities.[13]
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 continued to exist, however they now will not compete in the Super 14.[14]
[edit] Past winners
Super 12
| 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 | 21 - 17 | Waratahs | Bulls | Hurricanes | ||
Super 14
| 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 | ||
Total wins
| Team | Wins | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Crusaders |
6 | 2 |
| Blues |
3 | 1 |
| Brumbies |
2 | 3 |
| Sharks |
0 | 2 |
| Highlanders |
0 | 1 |
| Waratahs |
0 | 1 |
| Hurricanes |
0 | 1 |
Wins by Country
| Country | Wins | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
9 | 5 |
| Australia |
2 | 4 |
| South Africa |
0 | 2 |
[edit] Trophies
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.[15] 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.[15]
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.
[edit] Super rugby records
[edit] 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)
- Highest winning margin: 77 – Crusaders v Waratahs (96-19), 2002
- 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
- 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: 21 - Blues 1996-1998; Crusaders 2004-2006
[edit] Individual records
[edit] 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, Bulls
[edit] Career
- Points: 926 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
- Tries: 57 – Joe Roff, Brumbies, Doug Howlett, Blues
- Conversions: 148 – Matt Burke, Waratahs
- Penalties: 195 – Andrew Mehrtens, Crusaders
[edit] 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
[edit] 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 however, their domestic rugby is not like that of South Africa and New Zealand, as they have lacked a national club competition, and have instead had state competitions. However, a new national club competition is set to be launched in 2007 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 accommodate three teams from New South Wales, two from Queensland and one each from Western Australia, The ACT and Victoria.
[edit] 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 it thought the series was created for pay television.[16] 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. [1]
The Super 14 competition is featured in the Electronic Arts (EA) Rugby series. See Rugby 06.
[edit] 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
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b Super 14 to be broadcast into 41 countries. globalsuper14.com. Retrieved on 17 July 2006.
- ^ Sanzar relations 'fine' claims NZRU boss. nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved on 18 September 2006.
- ^ Super 14. coastdesign.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
- ^ a b "SANZAR launches Super 14 logo", smh.com.au, 2005-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Howitt (2005) pg 8.
- ^ a b More for players in new SANZAR deal. worldcupweb.com. Retrieved on 17 July 2006.
- ^ "All Blacks pulled out of the Super 14", planet-rugby.com, 2006-08-20. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ "Henry reveals his 'World Cup team'", planet-rugby.com, 2006-09-11. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ Leggat, David. "Getting the balance in Super 14", nzherald.co.nz, 2006-09-22. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
- ^ "Report: SA could bow out of Super 14", Sapa-AFP, Mail&Guardian, 2006-10-21. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
- ^ "It is official: Spears shafted", rugbyrugby.com. Retrieved on 2006-01-19.
- ^ Spears' CEO to be held accountable. rugbyrugby.com. Retrieved on 10 April 2006.
- ^ "Spears abandon their Super conquest", Planet Rugby, 2006-11-16. Retrieved on 2006-11-22.
- ^ a b Media Release. jenshansen.com (2006-02-08). Retrieved on 2007-01-28.
- ^ Ten lands World Cup rights. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 18 September 2006.
[edit] Bibliography
- Gifford, Phil (2004). The Passion - The Stories Behind 125 years of Canterbury Rugby. Wilson Scott Publishing. ISBN 0-9582535-1-X.
- Howitt, Bob (2005). SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 1-86950-566-2.
- McIlraith, Matt (2005). Ten Years of Super 12. Hodder Moa. ISBN 1-86971-025-8.
[edit] External links
- 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
| SANZAR Rugby Union | |
|---|---|
| Rugby union in: | Australia • New Zealand • South Africa |
| Federations: | Australian Rugby Union • New Zealand Rugby Football Union • South African Rugby Union |
| National teams: | Australia • New Zealand • South Africa |
| Super 14 teams: | Blues • Brumbies • Bulls • Cheetahs • Chiefs • Crusaders • Force • Highlanders • Hurricanes • Lions • Reds • Sharks • Stormers • Waratahs |
| Champions: | Super 12 • Super 14 • Tri Nations |
| Rugby union in New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Federation: | New Zealand Rugby Football Union |
| National teams: | All Blacks • Junior All Blacks • New Zealand Sevens • New Zealand Māori • Black Ferns |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Tri Nations • Super 14 • Pacific Nations Cup • Bledisloe Cup • Churchill Cup • Rugby World Cup Sevens • IRB Sevens World Series • Wellington Sevens |
| Super 14 teams: | Blues • Chiefs • Crusaders • Highlanders • Hurricanes |
| Domestic Competitions: | Air New Zealand Cup • Heartland Championship • Ranfurly Shield • Hanan Shield |
| Air New Zealand Cup teams: | Auckland • Bay of Plenty • Canterbury • Counties Manukau • Hawke's Bay • Manawatu • North Harbour • Northland • Otago • Southland • Taranaki • Tasman • Waikato • Wellington |
| Heartland Championship teams: | Buller • East Coast • Horowhenua-Kapiti • King Country • Mid Canterbury • North Otago • Poverty Bay • South Canterbury • Thames Valley • Wairarapa Bush • Wanganui • West Coast |
| Rugby union in South Africa | |
|---|---|
| Federation: | South African Rugby Union |
| National team: | South Africa • South Africa Sevens |
| International Competitions: | Rugby World Cup • Tri Nations • Super 14 • Mandela Challenge Plate • Freedom Cup • Rugby World Cup Sevens • IRB Sevens World Series • South Africa (George) Sevens |
| Super 14 teams: | Bulls • Cheetahs • Lions • Sharks • Stormers |
| Domestic Competitions: | Currie Cup • Vodacom Cup |
| Currie Cup Premier teams: | Blue Bulls • Free State Cheetahs • Golden Lions • Griquas • Natal Sharks • Pumas • Western Province • Falcons |
| Currie Cup Division One teams : | Boland Cavaliers • Border Bulldogs • Eagles • Griffons • Leopards • Mighty Elephants |
