SANZAR today unveiled a new look, details of the new competition format and the 2011 draw for Super Rugby, the southern hemisphere’s premiere inter-provincial rugby competition.

At a televised launch event in Sydney, new SANZAR CEO-designate, Greg Peters, unveiled the new name, logo and colours that will underpin the rollout of Super Rugby across all three SANZAR territories and around the world via SANZAR’s broadcast partners.

“For the first time since its inception in 1996, Super Rugby will take on a whole new look in 2011,” said Mr Peters.

“The fifteen teams will take part in a three-conference format which will see all of the teams in each conference tackle each other home and away; supplemented with inter-conference games and culminating in a new, six-team finals series.

“We believe this competition will deliver even more of what our fans in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are telling us that they love about Super Rugby including more local derbies, intense cross-conference competition and the expanded final series with the guarantee of a home final for each of the conference winners.”

Mr Peters was joined for the launch by players from some of the Australian franchises including the new Melbourne Rebels franchise.

And the new-look competition format and the draw for 2011 were revealed underlining the depth and intensity of competition that will take place within the conferences, and across all 15 teams in the new competition window which will reach its peak with the Final in July 2011.

“These changes promise to take Super Rugby to a whole new level. For all of our fans and especially our younger fans who look forward seeing all of their heroes taking the field in their local colours, 2011 will be a big year in prospect.”

New Competition Format

The Super Rugby competition will not only expand to 15 teams in 2011, it will also undergo a significant format revamp.

A new three-Conference system will be in place where the five teams within each country will make up nationally-based Conferences and play their four “local” rivals on a home and away basis (eight games in total).

They will also play four of the other five teams in each of the other two Conferences on a home or away basis (another eight games).

This leads to an overall program of 16 games per team in the regular season, as opposed to the current 13 – and separate Australian Conference, South African Conference and New Zealand Conference tables will chart the fortunes of teams in each country.

A three-week finals series involving six teams – as opposed to the current two-week playoffs for four teams – will further increase the length of the season.

At the end of the regular season matches, the top team in each Conference will qualify for the finals.

The other three teams to qualify will be the sides with the most number of competition points – regardless in which Conference they are based.

The Conference winners are also ensured of a home finals match. Therefore, at least one finals match will be played in each country each year.

Super Rugby Snapshot

• An increase in overall matches from 94 to 125 (an increase of 33%)
• A 50% increase in the length of the season in non-World Cup years – from 16 weeks to 24 weeks
• A 31% increase in the length of the season in World Cup years – from 16 weeks to 21 weeks
• 40 Super Rugby regular season matches played in each country each season as opposed to 26 in Australia under the Super 14 structure and 32 or 33 in South Africa and New Zealand
• There will be 20 regular season local derbies in each country as opposed to six in Australia, 10 in South Africa and10 in New Zealand under the Super 14 format
• Half of all regular season matches will be local derbies
• Each team will play 12 of its 16 regular-season games within its own country – with only four matches overseas

Finals Series Facts

• The top team in each Conference will automatically advance to the finals in positions 1, 2 or 3 (depending on their individual competition points totals)
• The other three teams to advance will be those with the highest number of competition points outside of the Conference winners
• The teams qualifying in 4th, 5th and 6th can come from any Conference – they could all come from one Conference
• In week one of the finals the teams qualifying 1st and 2nd will rest
• The 3rd placed team, as a Conference winner, will host the 6th placed team in a sudden death Qualifier
• The 4th placed team will host the 5th placed team in another sudden death Qualifier
• The two winners will play the top two sides in Semis the following week
• The winners of the Semis will meet in the Final

2011 SUPER RUGBY SCHEDULE
As at 10 September 2010

DAY & DATE
MATCH
Kick off
local
time
WEEK ONE
Friday 18 February Hurricanes v Highlanders 1935
Friday 18 February Rebels v Waratahs 1940
Saturday 19 February Blues v Crusaders 1935
Saturday 19 February Brumbies v Chiefs 1940
Saturday 19 February Sharks v Cheetahs 1705
Saturday 19 February Lions v Bulls 1910
Sunday 20 February Reds v Force 1640
BYES: STORMERS
WEEK TWO
Friday 25 February Highlanders v Chiefs 1935
Friday 25 February Rebels v Brumbies 1940
Friday 25 February Cheetahs v Bulls 1910
Saturday 26 February Hurricanes v Crusaders 1935
Saturday 26 February Waratahs v Reds 1940
Saturday 26 February Sharks v Blues 1705
Saturday 26 February Stormers v Lions 1910
BYES: FORCE
WEEK THREE
Friday 4 March Crusaders v Waratahs 1935
Friday 4 March Lions v Blues 1910
Saturday 5 March Chiefs v Rebels 1935
Saturday 5 March Brumbies v Reds 1940
Saturday 5 March Force v Sharks 1905
Saturday 5 March Stormers v Cheetahs 1705
Saturday 5 March Bulls v Highlanders 1910
BYES: HURRICANES
WEEK FOUR
Friday 11 March Crusaders v Brumbies 1935
Friday 11 March Rebels v Sharks 1940
Friday 11 March Stormers v Highlanders 1910
Saturday 12 March Hurricanes v Chiefs 1935
Saturday 12 March Force v Blues 1905
Saturday 12 March Cheetahs v Lions 1705
BYES: BULLS – REDS - WARATAHS

WEEK FIVE
Friday 18 March Chiefs v Sharks 1935
Friday 18 March Reds v Rebels 1940
Saturday 19 March Highlanders v Crusaders 1730
Saturday 19 March Blues v Hurricanes 1935
Saturday 19 March Waratahs v Cheetahs 1940
Saturday 19 March Lions v Force 1705
Saturday 19 March Bulls v Stormers 1910
BYES: BRUMBIES
WEEK SIX
Friday 25 March Crusaders v Sharks 1935
Friday 25 March Rebels v Hurricanes 1940
Saturday 26 March Reds v Cheetahs 1440
Saturday 26 March Chiefs v Blues 1935
Saturday 26 March Brumbies v Waratahs 1940
Saturday 26 March Stormers v Force 1500
Saturday 26 March Bulls v Lions 1705
BYES: HIGHLANDERS
WEEK SEVEN (DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND)
Friday 1 April Highlanders v Brumbies 1935
Friday 1 April Waratahs v Chiefs 1940
Saturday 2 April Blues v Cheetahs 1730
Saturday 2 April Hurricanes v Bulls 1935
Saturday 2 April Force v Rebels 1905
Saturday 2 April Lions v Reds 1500
Saturday 2 April Sharks v Stormers 1705
BYES: CRUSADERS
WEEK EIGHT
Friday 8 April Highlanders v Cheetahs 1935
Saturday 9 April Crusaders v Bulls 1935
Saturday 9 April Brumbies v Hurricanes 1940
Saturday 9 April Force v Waratahs 2005
Saturday 9 April Stormers v Reds 1705
Saturday 9 April Sharks v Lions 1910
BYES: BLUES – CHIEFS - REBELS
WEEK NINE
Friday 15 April Chiefs v Crusaders 1935
Friday 15 April Rebels v Highlanders 1940
Saturday 16 April Blues v Waratahs 1935
Saturday 16 April Reds v Bulls 1940
Saturday 16 April Lions v Stormers 1705
Saturday 16 April Cheetahs v Hurricanes 1910
Sunday 17 April Brumbies v Force 1610
BYES: SHARKS

WEEK TEN (EASTER / ANZAC DAY)
Friday 22 April Blues v Rebels 1935
Saturday 23 April Crusaders v Highlanders 1935
Saturday 23 April Reds v Waratahs 1940
Saturday 23 April Force v Bulls 2005
Saturday 23 April Sharks v Hurricanes 1705
Saturday 23 April Lions v Chiefs 1910
BYES: BRUMBIES – CHEETAHS - STORMERS
WEEK ELEVEN
Friday 29 April Highlanders v Blues 1935
Saturday 30 April Hurricanes v Reds 1935
Saturday 30 April Waratahs v Rebels 1940
Saturday 30 April Force v Crusaders 2005
Saturday 30 April Cheetahs v Brumbies 1500
Saturday 30 April Bulls v Chiefs 1705
Saturday 30 April Stormers v Sharks 1910
BYES: LIONS
WEEK TWELVE
Friday 6 May Hurricanes v Blues 1935
Friday 6 May Rebels v Reds 1940
Friday 6 May Lions v Cheetahs 1910
Saturday 7 May Chiefs v Highlanders 1935
Saturday 7 May Waratahs v Force 1940
Saturday 7 May Stormers v Crusaders 1705
Saturday 7 May Sharks v Brumbies 1910
BYES: BULLS
WEEK THIRTEEN
Friday 13 May Highlanders v Hurricanes 1935
Friday 13 May Reds v Blues 1940
Saturday 14 May Chiefs v Stormers 1935
Saturday 14 May Brumbies v Lions 1940
Saturday 14 May Bulls v Rebels 1705
Saturday 14 May Cheetahs v Crusaders 1910
BYES: FORCE – SHARKS - WARATAHS
WEEK FOURTEEN
Friday 20 May Blues v Stormers 1935
Saturday 21 May Crusaders v Chiefs 1935
Saturday 21 May Waratahs v Lions 1940
Saturday 21 May Force v Brumbies 2005
Saturday 21 May Cheetahs v Rebels 1705
Saturday 21 May Sharks v Bulls 1910
BYES: HURRICANES – HIGHLANDERS - REDS

WEEK FIFTEEN
Friday 27 May Hurricanes v Force 1935
Saturday 28 May Highlanders v Lions 1935
Saturday 28 May Brumbies v Stormers 1940
Saturday 28 May Sharks v Waratahs 1705
Saturday 28 May Bulls v Cheetahs 1910
Sunday 29 May Reds v Crusaders 1610
BYES: BLUES – CHIEFS - REBELS
WEEK SIXTEEN
Friday 3 June Highlanders v Force 1935
Friday 3 June Rebels v Stormers 1940
Friday 3 June Bulls v Waratahs 1910
Saturday 4 June Hurricanes v Lions 1730
Saturday 4 June Blues v Chiefs 1935
Saturday 4 June Reds v Brumbies 1940
Saturday 4 June Cheetahs v Sharks 1705
BYES: CRUSADERS
WEEK SEVENTEEN
Friday 10 June Chiefs v Hurricanes 1935
Friday 10 June Brumbies v Rebels 1940
Saturday 11 June Crusaders v Blues 1935
Saturday 11 June Waratahs v Highlanders 1940
Saturday 11 June Force v Reds 2005
Saturday 11 June Lions v Sharks 1605
Saturday 11 June Stormers v Bulls 1810
BYES: CHEETAHS
WEEK EIGHTEEN
Friday 17 June Blues v Highlanders 1935
Friday 17 June Rebels v Force 1940
Saturday 18 June Chiefs v Reds 1730
Saturday 18 June Crusaders v Hurricanes 1935
Saturday 18 June Waratahs v Brumbies 1940
Saturday 18 June Bulls v Sharks 1705
Saturday 18 June Cheetahs v Stormers 1910
BYES: LIONS

THE FINALS
WEEK 1 – FRIDAY 24 AND SATURDAY 25 JUNE
Team 1 and Team 2 Bye
Qualifier 1 – Team 3 v Team 6
Qualifier 2 – Team 4 v Team 5
WEEK 2 – FRIDAY 1 AND SATURDAY 2 JULY
Semi 1 – Team 1 v Lowest ranked Qualifier winner
Semi 2 – Team 2 v Highest ranked Qualifier winner
WEEK 3 – SATURDAY 9 JULY
Final – Winner of Semi 1 v Winner of Semi 2