17 Facts About Super Rugby

1.

Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.

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2.

The Super Rugby 12 was established by SANZAR after the sport became professional in 1995.

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3.

The 2020 Super Rugby season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this led to a mass-scale restructuring of the competition.

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4.

SANZAAR is the body that administers Super Rugby, and has the Australian, New Zealand, South African and Argentine rugby unions as its sole members.

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5.

The Super Rugby 10 was won by Transvaal in 1993, and by Queensland in 1994 and 1995.

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6.

Super Rugby discussed the possibility that offshore Super Rugby teams could be a home for surplus players from the SANZAR countries, keeping them in the SANZAR fold and away from European clubs.

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7.

The Super Rugby season was unable to resumed due to border restrictions and the need for teams to be placed into quarantine upon arrival in each country.

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8.

Super Rugby Aotearoa featured all five New Zealand teams from Super Rugby: the Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes.

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9.

Super Rugby AU included Australia's four teams, the Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies and Rebels, as well as former Super Rugby side, the Western Force.

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10.

The Force had continued as a franchise after their 2017 post-season exclusion from Super Rugby and were playing in Global Rapid Rugby, suspended due to COVID-19.

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11.

The Australian and New Zealand competitions each scheduled a 20-game home and away season in 2020 but Super Rugby AU played two additional knockout matches to decide the Australian title.

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12.

Super Rugby Unlocked featured South Africa's four Super Rugby teams plus former franchise the Cheetahs as well as the Currie Cup sides Griquas and Pumas.

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13.

New Zealand Super Rugby has confirmed that it intends to partner with Fiji Super Rugby and Moana Pasifika, along with Australia going forward.

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14.

The Australian Super Rugby Union decided in 2011 to introduce the salary cap because of financial pressures.

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15.

Each respective country competing in Super Rugby has a number of their own domestic leagues, which feed into Super Rugby teams.

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16.

Super Rugby is broadcast on Supersport in South Africa and is simulcast terrestrially on M-Net.

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17.

Super Rugby was broadcast in over 40 countries — in the UK on Sky Sports; in Spain it is broadcast by Digital+, and in the United States by ESPN+, which has confirmed all matches will be broadcast live or on demand.

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