Rugby
Super 14 draw announced─── 07:31 Mon, 17 Nov 2008
Cape Town. - The 14th edition of the Super Rugby tournament kicks off in Dunedin on Friday, February 13 when the Highlanders host the ACT Brumbies in a Trans-Tasman clash, according to the official draw which was released on Monday.
The Perth-based Western Force host the Blues later on the same evening as the competition takes its Australian bow and the Johannesburg-based Lions receive the Central Cheetahs from Bloemfontein in a local derby as the first evening’s play is completed in South Africa.
The defending champion Crusaders begin their 2009 Super 14 campaign with a New Zealand derby match against the Chiefs in Christchurch the following day.
The Crusaders launch their hunt for an eighth Super Rugby crown on Saturday, February 14 as the 2008 semi-finalists join the fray.
Losing finalists, the NSW Waratahs, travel to the Hurricanes in the following match for a meeting between two of 2008’s semi-finalists.
The final remaining semi-finalists – the Durban-based Sharks – travel down the South African coast to meet the Stormers in Cape Town.
The competition retains its top-four play-off format for 2009 with the semi-finals set down for the weekend of May 22/23.
The 94-match tournament reaches its climax with the final a week later on May 30.
WEEK 1 1. Friday 13 February Highlanders v Brumbies Dunedin 19:35 2. Friday 13 February W Force v Blues Perth 19:45 3. Friday 13 February Lions v Cheetahs Johannesburg 19:10 4. Saturday 14 February Crusaders v Chiefs Christchurch 17:30 5. Saturday 14 February Hurricanes v Waratahs Wellington 19:35 6. Saturday 14 February Stormers v Sharks Cape Town 17:00 7. Saturday 14 February Bulls v Reds Pretoria 19:10 WEEK 2 8. Friday 20 February Hurricanes v Highlanders Wellington 19:35 9. Friday 20 February Waratahs v Chiefs Sydney 19:40 10. Friday 20 February W Force v Cheetahs Perth 19:45 11. Friday 20 February Stormers v Reds Cape Town 19:10 12. Saturday 21 February Brumbies v Crusaders Canberra 19:40 13. Saturday 21 February Bulls v Blues Pretoria 17:00 14. Saturday 21 February Sharks v Lions Durban 19:10 WEEK 3 - * No D/L Savings in Brisbane 15. Friday 27 February Crusaders v Hurricanes Christchurch 19:35 16. Friday 27 February Waratahs v Highlanders Sydney 19:40 17. Saturday 28 February Chiefs v Sharks Hamilton 19:35 18. Saturday 28 February Brumbies v W Force Canberra 19:40 19. Saturday 28 February Lions v Bulls Johannesburg 17:00 20. Saturday 28 February Stormers v Blues Cape Town 19:10 21. Sunday 01 March Reds v Cheetahs Brisbane 16:00 WEEK 4 22. Friday 06 March Chiefs v W Force Hamilton 19:35 23. Friday 06 March Waratahs v Reds Sydney 19:40 24. Saturday 07 March Hurricanes v Cheetahs New Plymouth 14:30 25. Saturday 07 March Blues v Sharks Auckland 17:30 26. Saturday 07 March Highlanders v Crusaders Dunedin 19:35 27. Saturday 07 March Bulls v Stormers Pretoria 17:00 Brumbies/Lions Bye WEEK 5 - * No D/L Savings in Brisbane 28. Friday 13 March Blues v Cheetahs North Harbour 19:35 29. Friday 13 March Brumbies v Waratahs Canberra 19:40 30. Saturday 14 March Crusaders v W Force Christchurch 17:30 31. Saturday 14 March Highlanders v Chiefs Invercargill 19:35 32. Saturday 14 March Reds v Sharks Brisbane 19:05 33. Saturday 14 March Stormers v Lions Cape Town 17:00 Hurricanes/Bulls Bye WEEK 6 34. Friday 20 March Hurricanes v Bulls Wellington 19:35 35. Saturday 21 March Highlanders v Cheetahs Dunedin 17:30 36. Saturday 21 March Chiefs v Blues Hamilton 19:35 37. Saturday 21 March Waratahs v Crusaders Sydney 19:40 38. Saturday 21 March W Force v Sharks Perth 19:45 39. Saturday 21 March Lions v Brumbies Johannesburg 17:00 Reds/Stormers Bye WEEK 7 - * No D/L Savings in Brisbane, Sunday 29th March D/L Savings ends in Perth 40. Friday 27 March Blues v Waratahs Auckland 19:35 41. Saturday 28 March Highlanders v Bulls Palmerston North 17:30 42. Saturday 28 March Crusaders v Stormers Christchurch 19:35 43. Saturday 28 March Reds v Chiefs Brisbane 19:05 44. Saturday 28 March Sharks v Brumbies Durban 17:00 45. Saturday 28 March Lions v Hurricanes Johannesburg 19:10 Cheetahs/W Force Bye WEEK 8 – Sunday, 5th April D/L Savings Ends in Australia and New Zealand 46. Friday 03 April Crusaders v Bulls Christchurch 19:35 47. Friday 03 April W Force v Reds Perth 19:05 48. Friday 03 April Sharks v Hurricanes Durban 19:10 49. Saturday 04 April Chiefs v Lions Hamilton 19:35 50. Saturday 04 April Waratahs v Stormers Sydney 19:40 51. Saturday 04 April Cheetahs v Brumbies Bloemfontein 15:00 Blues/Highlanders Bye WEEK 9 - Easter Weekend 52. Friday 10 April Blues v Lions Auckland 19:35 53. Friday 10 April W Force v Hurricanes Perth 17:40 54. Saturday 11 April Highlanders v Reds Invercargill 17:30 55. Saturday 11 April Brumbies v Stormers Canberra 17:35 56. Saturday 11 April Waratahs v Bulls Sydney 19:40 57. Saturday 11 April Cheetahs v Sharks Bloemfontein 15:00 Chiefs/Crusaders Bye WEEK 10 58. Friday 17 April Blues v Highlanders Auckland 19:35 59. Friday 17 April Brumbies v Bulls Canberra 19:40 60. Saturday 18 April Hurricanes v Stormers Wellington 17:30 61. Saturday 18 April Reds v Lions Brisbane 17:35 62. Saturday 18 April Waratahs v W Force Sydney 19:40 63. Saturday 18 April Cheetahs v Chiefs Kimberley 15:00 64. Saturday 18 April Sharks v Crusaders Durban 17:05 WEEK 11 65. Friday 24 April Highlanders v Stormers Dunedin 19:35 66. Friday 24 April W Force v Lions Perth 19:05 67. Saturday 25 April Blues v Reds North Harbour 17:30 68. Saturday 25 April Hurricanes v Brumbies Wellington 19:35 69. Saturday 25 April Cheetahs v Crusaders Bloemfontein 15:00 70. Saturday 25 April Bulls v Chiefs Pretoria 17:05 Waratahs/Sharks Bye WEEK 12 71. Friday 01 May Hurricanes v Blues Wellington 19:35 72. Friday 01 May Lions v Crusaders Johannesburg 15:00 73. Friday 01 May Cheetahs v Waratahs Bloemfontein 17:05 74. Saturday 02 May Reds v Brumbies Brisbane 19:40 75. Saturday 02 May Sharks v Highlanders Durban 15:00 76. Saturday 02 May Bulls v W Force Pretoria 17:05 77. Saturday 02 May Stormers v Chiefs Cape Town 19:10 WEEK 13 78. Friday 08 May Crusaders v Reds Christchurch 19:35 79. Friday 08 May Lions v Highlanders Johannesburg 19:10 80. Saturday 09 May Chiefs v Hurricanes Hamilton 19:35 81. Saturday 09 May Brumbies v Blues Canberra 19:40 82. Saturday 09 May Sharks v Waratahs Durban 15:00 83. Saturday 09 May Bulls v Cheetahs Pretoria 17:05 84. Saturday 09 May Stormers v W Force Cape Town 19:10 WEEK 14 85.Friday 15 May Chiefs v Brumbies Hamilton 19:35 86. Friday 15 May Lions v Waratahs Johannesburg 19:10 87. Saturday 16 May Blues v Crusaders Auckland 19:35 88. Saturday 16 May Reds v Hurricanes Brisbane 19:40 89. Saturday 16 May W Force v Highlanders Perth 19:45 90. Saturday 16 May Cheetahs v Stormers Bloemfontein 16:00 91. Saturday 16 May Sharks v Bulls Durban 18:05 Week 15 – SEMI FINAL 92. Friday 22 May TBA v TBA 93. Saturday 23 May TBA v TBA Week 16 – FINAL 94. Saturday 30 May TBA v TBA
