New Aussie Super Rugby competition unveiled
NEWS: Super Rugby is gathering momentum again after Rugby Australia confirmed it’s five teams that will compete in the revised Super Rugby competition.
The five-team competition, which features the four Australian Super Rugby teams plus the Western Force, will kick off on July 3 and will be contested over 12 consecutive weekends.
The competition will involve 10 weeks of round-robin action, with teams to face-off twice and have two byes each, before a two-week finals series featuring a Qualifying Final on September 12 and a Final on September 19.
All teams will start on zero competition points under the revised domestic format, with the 15-team three-conference Super Rugby competition abandoned for 2020 after seven rounds.
The new season gets underway when the Queensland Reds host the Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Friday, July 3. The following day in Canberra, the Brumbies will host the Melbourne Rebels.
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Rugby’s back!
Vodafone #SuperRugby AU to launch on @Foxtel & @KayoSports from July 3.
MEDIA: https://t.co/Ul8xZViKAC pic.twitter.com/kFJKPAf9ZE
ADVERTISEMENT— Rugby Australia (@RugbyAU) June 10, 2020
New Zealand’s competition called Super Rugby Aotearoa will kick off this weekend with matches in Dunedin and Auckland.
The SANZAAR tournaments will be the first professional Rugby competitions to launch since the global COVID-19 shutdown in March. Western Force will begin its campaign in Round Two after an opening-round bye.
All matches to kick off the Super Rugby AU season will be played at closed venues, with Rugby Australia to review its position regarding spectator attendance regularly in line with Government restrictions.
In a further boost for Australian rugby, all 22 matches in the tournament will be broadcast on FOX SPORTS.
Rugby Australia interim CEO, Rob Clarke said: “We are excited to announce the return of professional Rugby in Australia and the kick-off of Super Rugby AU on July 3.
“Our focus is now back where it should be, getting Super Rugby AU up and running next month and watching our five Australian teams go head-to-head in week after week of Aussie derby action.
“Fans can also expect to see something different during the new season, as we use the opportunity to innovate and push the boundaries and we look forward to showcasing a new brand of Rugby throughout this 12-week competition.”
