SYDNEY, September 13 – Southern hemisphere rugby chiefs on Monday revealed details of the inaugural Super 15 tournament featuring an extra team and a new, longer format aimed at drawing bigger audiences.South Africa, Australia, New Zealand Rugby (SANZAR) said teams would be split into three country-based conferences to qualify for a finals series which has been extended from two weeks to three.
Each team, including new franchise Melbourne Rebels, will play all four other sides in its country twice and four of the other five teams in each of the other conferences, also home and away.
The top team in each conference and the next three best-placed sides will qualify for a six-team finals series, with total games up from 94 to 125 — a rise of 33 percent.
"For the first time since its inception in 1996, Super Rugby will take on a whole new look in 2011," said SANZAR’s incoming chief Greg Peters.
"These changes promise to take Super Rugby to a whole new level."
Super 15 is the latest incarnation of the former Super 14 and Super 12 competitions featuring provincial teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
South Africa’s Northern Bulls are the reigning champions after beating Western Stormers in the last Super 14 final in May.
Week 1
Feb 18 – Wellington Hurricanes (NZL) Otago Highlanders (NZL)
Feb 18 – Melbourne Rebels (AUS) v NSW Waratahs (AUS)
Feb 19 – Auckland Blues (NZL) v Canterbury Crusaders (NZL)
Feb 19 – ACT Brumbies (AUS) v Waikato Chiefs (NZL)
Feb 19 – Coastal Sharks (RSA) v Central Cheetahs (RSA)
Feb 19 – Golden Lions (RSA) v Northern Bulls (RSA)
Feb 20 – Queensland Reds (AUS) v Western Force (AUS)
Stormers (RSA) Bye
Week 2
Feb 25 – Highlanders v Chiefs
Feb 25 – Rebels v Brumbies
Feb 25 – Cheetahs v Bulls
Feb 26 – Hurricanes v Crusaders
Feb 26 – Waratahs v Reds
Feb 26 – Sharks v Blues
Feb 26 – Stormers v Lions
Force Bye
Week 3
March 4 – Crusaders v Waratahs
March 4 – Lions v Blues
March 5 – Chiefs v Rebels
March 5 – Brumbies v Reds
March 5 – Force v Sharks
March 5 – Stormers v Cheetahs
March 5 – Bulls v Highlanders
Hurricanes Bye
Week 4
March 11 – Crusaders v Brumbies
March 11 – Rebels v Sharks
March 11 – Stormers v Highlanders
March 12 – Hurricanes v Chiefs
March 12 – Force v Blues
March 12 – Cheetahs v Lions
Bulls/Reds/Waratahs Bye
Week 5
March 18 – Chiefs v Sharks
March 18 – Reds v Rebels
March 19 – Highlanders v Crusaders
March 19 – Blues v Hurricanes
March 19 – Waratahs v Cheetahs
March 19 – Lions v Force
March 19 – Bulls v Stormers
Brumbies Bye
Week 6
March 25 – Crusaders v Sharks
March 25 – Rebels v Hurricanes
March 26 – Reds v Cheetahs
March 26 – Chiefs v Blues
March 26 – Brumbies v Waratahs
March 26 – Stormers v Force
March 26 – Bulls v Lions
Highlanders Bye
Week 7
April 1 – Highlanders v Brumbies
April 1 – Waratahs v Chiefs
April 2 – Blues v Cheetahs
April 2 – Hurricanes v Bulls
April 2 – Force v Rebels
April 2 – Lions v Reds
April 2 – Sharks v Stormers
Crusaders Bye
Week 8
April 8 – Highlanders v Cheetahs
April 9 – Crusaders v Bulls
April 9 – Brumbies v Hurricanes
April 9 – Force v Waratahs
April 9 – Stormers v Reds
April 9 – Sharks v Lions
Blues/Chiefs/Rebels Bye
Week 9
April 15 – Chiefs v Crusaders
April 15 – Rebels v Highlanders
April 16 – Blues v Waratahs
April 16 – Reds v Bulls
April 16 – Lions v Stormers
April 16 – Cheetahs v Hurricanes
April 17 – Brumbies v Force
Sharks Bye
Week 10
April 22 – Blues v Rebels
April 23 – Crusaders v Highlanders
April 23 – Reds v Waratahs
April 23 – Force v Bulls
April 23 – Sharks v Hurricanes
April 23 – Lions v Chiefs
Brumbies/Cheetahs/Stormers Bye
Week 11
April 29 – Highlanders v Blues
April 30 – Hurricanes v Reds
April 30 – Waratahs v Rebels
April 30 – Force v Crusaders
April 30 – Cheetahs v Brumbies
April 30 – Bulls v Chiefs
April 30 – Stormers v Sharks
Lions Bye
Week 12
May 6 – Hurricanes v Blues
May 6 – Rebels v Reds
May 6 – Lions v Cheetahs
May 7 – Chiefs v Highlanders
May 7 – Waratahs v Force
May 7 – Stormers v Crusaders
May 7 – Sharks v Brumbies
Bulls Bye
Week 13
May 13 – Highlanders v Hurricanes
May 13 – Reds v Blues
May 14 – Chiefs v Stormers
May 14 – Brumbies v Lions
May 14 – Bulls v Rebels
May 14 – Cheetahs v Crusaders
Force/Sharks/Waratahs Bye
Week 14
May 20 – Blues v Stormers
May 21 – Crusaders v Chiefs
May 21 – Waratahs v Lions
May 21 – Force v Brumbies
May 21 – Cheetahs v Rebels
May 21 – Sharks v Bulls
Hurricanes/Highlanders/Reds Bye
Week 15
May 27 – Hurricanes v Force
May 28 – Highlanders v Lions
May 28 – Brumbies v Stormers
May 28 – Sharks v Waratahs
May 28 – Bulls v Cheetahs
May 29 – Reds v Crusaders
Blues/Chiefs/Rebels Bye
Week 16
June 3 – Highlanders v Force
June 3 – Rebels v Stormers
June 3 – Bulls v Waratahs
June 4 – Hurricanes v Lions
June 4 – Blues v Chiefs
June 4 – Reds v Brumbies
June 4 – Cheetahs v Sharks
Crusaders bye
Week 17
June 10 – Chiefs v Hurricanes
June 10 – Brumbies v Rebels
June 11 – Crusaders v Blues
June 11 – Waratahs v Highlanders
June 11 – Force v Reds
June 11 – Lions v Sharks
June 11 – Stormers v Bulls
Cheetahs bye
Week 18
June 17 – Blues v Highlanders
June 17 – Rebels v Force
June 18 – Chiefs v Reds
June 18 – Crusaders v Hurricanes
June 18 – Waratahs v Brumbies
June 18 – Bulls v Sharks
June 18 – Cheetahs v Stormers
Lions bye
Week 19
Qualifiers
June 24
June 25
Week 20
Semi-finals
July 1
July 2
Week 21
Final
July 9