Super Rugby is the major professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere.[1] The competition began as Super 12 in 1996, consisting of 12 teams from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. An extra Australian and South African team were added in 2005 and the name was changed to Super 14. A fifteenth team joined in 2011 and the competition was rebranded as Super Rugby.[1] The current format consists of three conferences of five teams from each country. Teams play other members of their conference twice (home and away) and four teams from each of the other two conferences once. The top team in each conference and the next best three over all conferences advance to the finals.[2] In all previous formats there were no conferences and each team played every team once, with the top four progressing to the finals. The tournament is organised and governed by SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentine Rugby). Super Rugby is considered a successor to the Super Six (1992) and Super 10 (1993–1995), although SANZAR did not administer those tournaments.[3]
- ^ a b "SANZAR release 2011 Super 15 Fixtures". Sports Digital Media. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ "How will the new Super Rugby format work?". Sports Digital Media. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ "Super 12: The history". Rugby365.com. Primedia. 23 May 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2011.