Timetable for rugby's Super 14
28 December 2005
The draw for the showcase of southern hemisphere rugby - the Vodacom Super 14 - has been confirmed for the next five years as South Africa, New Zealand and Australia prepare for the expanded phase of the competition.
The board of Sanzar, representing the South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby unions, have released a detailed draw for 2006 as well as a home-and-away draw for 2007 to 2010.
New Zealand Rugby Union and current Sanzar chief executive Chris Moller said all three countries were excited by the inaugural Vodacom Super 14 competition, which sees the Western Force from Perth, Australia and the Central Cheetahs from Bloemfontein, South Africa join the original 12 franchises.
"From that very first game when the Hurricanes hosted the Blues back in 1996, the Super 12 has grown into a hugely popular competition with match attendances and TV viewership on the rise," Moller said.
"As we now move into the Vodacom Super
14, the addition of the two new teams will provide an exciting boost to what is widely acknowledged as one of the most thrilling rugby tournaments in the world."
South African Rugby Union CEO Johan Prinsloo said the re-launched Super 14 "offers an air of excitement for South African rugby supporters as the Central Cheetahs will now join the four traditional franchises. The additional franchise means more of our players will now be exposed to the intense and hugely entertaining level of international rugby."
Australian Rugby Union CEO Gary Flowers said that packed houses in Perth and Brisbane "could not provide a better backdrop to the new competition. The four Australian teams going at each other in the opening round is just the perfect start.
"New South Wales and Queensland renew a rugby rivalry that goes back to 1882, while our newest team, the Western Force, pit themselves against the most successful Australian team of the past 10 years, the Brumbies."
As
they did in 1996, the Blues and the Hurricanes will kick off the Vodacom Super 14 competition with their match at Eden Park on Friday 10 February 2006.
In South Africa the Central Cheetahs will get their first bite of the expanded competition when they entertain the Bulls on Friday evening in Bloemfontein on the same day. The Cats and Stormers will resume their rivalry at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 11 February.
In the late game on Saturday, the Sharks will entertain the Chiefs from New Zealand at the Absa Stadium in Durban.
Another newcomer, the Western Force from Australia, will make their competition debut against the Brumbies at home in Perth.
The semi-finals of the Super 14 will be held on 19-20 May with the final a week later on 27 May.
Super 14 2006: provisional programme
| Date |
Match |
Venue |
Kick-Off (Local Time) |
| 10 Feb |
Blues vs Hurricanes |
Auckland |
19:35 |
| |
W.Force vs Brumbies |
Perth |
19:05 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Bulls |
Bloem'tein |
19:10 |
| 11 Feb |
Crusaders vs Highlanders |
Christchurch |
19:35 |
| |
Reds vs Waratahs |
Brisbane |
19:40 |
| |
Cats vs Stormers |
Joburg |
17:00 |
| |
Sharks vs Chiefs |
Durban |
19:10 |
| |
| 17 Feb |
Highlanders vs Blues |
Dunedin |
19:35 |
| |
Cats vs Chiefs |
Joburg |
18:00 |
| |
Bulls vs Brumbies |
Pretoria |
20:00 |
| 18 Feb |
Hurricanes vs W.Force |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Reds vs Crusaders |
Brisbane |
19:00 |
| |
Sharks vs Cheetahs |
Durban |
17:00 |
| |
Stormers vs Waratahs |
Cape Town |
19:10 |
| |
| 24 Feb |
Hurricanes vs Cats |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
W.Force vs Chiefs |
Perth |
19:05 |
| |
Stormers vs Brumbies |
Cape Town |
19:10 |
| 25 Feb |
Crusaders vs Sharks |
Timaru |
17:30 |
| |
Reds vs Blues |
Brisbane |
19:35 |
| |
Bulls vs Waratahs |
Pretoria |
17:00 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Highlanders |
Bloem'tein |
19:10 |
| |
| 03 Mar |
Chiefs vs Reds |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Brumbies vs Cats |
Canberra |
19:40 |
| 04 Mar |
Waratahs vs Sharks |
Sydney |
15:30 |
| |
Crusaders vs Blues |
Christchurch |
19:35 |
| |
Stormers vs Highlanders |
Cape Town |
17:00 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Hurricanes |
Bloem'tein |
19:10 |
| BYE |
W.Force / Bulls |
|
|
|
| 10 Mar |
Chiefs vs Crusaders |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Waratahs vs Cats |
Sydney |
19:40 |
| 11 Mar |
Brumbies vs Sharks |
Canberra |
19:00 |
| |
Reds vs W.Force |
Brisbane |
20:05 |
| |
Bulls vs Highlanders |
Pretoria |
17:00 |
| |
Stormers vs Hurricanes |
Cape Town |
19:10 |
| BYE |
Blues / Cheetahs |
|
|
| |
| 17 Mar |
Crusaders vs Cats |
Christchurch |
19:35 |
| |
W.Force vs Waratahs |
Perth |
19:00 |
| |
Bulls vs Hurricanes |
Pretoria |
19:10 |
| 18 Mar |
Blues vs Brumbies |
Auckland |
17:30 |
| |
Highlanders vs Sharks |
Dunedin |
19:35 |
| |
Stormers vs Cheetahs |
Cape Town |
17:00 |
| BYE |
Reds / Chiefs |
|
|
| |
| New Zealand Daylight Saving ends Sunday 19 March at 0200 |
| |
| 24 Mar |
Hurricanes vs Sharks |
T.B.C. |
19:00 |
| |
Waratahs vs Blues |
Sydney |
20:05 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Reds |
Bloem'tein |
19:10 |
| 25 Mar |
Brumbies vs Chiefs |
Canberra |
16:30 |
| |
Highlanders vs Cats |
Invercargill |
19:35 |
| |
W.Force vs Bulls |
Perth |
20:05 |
| BYE |
Crusaders / Stormers |
|
|
| |
| 31 Mar |
Blues vs Bulls |
Auckland |
19:00 |
| |
Waratahs vs Cheetahs |
Sydney |
20:05 |
| |
W.Force vs Stormers |
Perth |
19:10 |
| 01 Apr |
Hurricanes vs Crusaders |
T.B.C. |
17:30 |
| |
Chiefs vs Highlanders |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Sharks vs Reds |
Durban |
17:00 |
| BYE |
Brumbies / Cats |
|
|
| Australian Daylight Saving Ends Sunday 2 April at 0300 |
| |
| 07 Apr |
Crusaders vs Waratahs |
Christchurch |
19:35 |
| 08 Apr |
Highlanders vs W.Force |
Dunedin |
14:35 |
| |
Chiefs vs Bulls |
T.B.C. |
17:30 |
| |
Blues vs Stormers |
Auckland |
19:35 |
| |
Brumbies vs Cheetahs |
Canberra |
19:40 |
| |
Cats vs Reds |
Joburg |
17:00 |
| BYE |
Hurricanes / Sharks |
|
|
| |
| 14 Apr |
Blues vs W.Force |
Auckland |
19:35 |
| 15 Apr |
Crusaders vs Cheetahs |
Christchurch |
17:30 |
| |
Chiefs vs Stormers |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Reds vs Bulls |
Brisbane |
19:40 |
| |
Cats vs Sharks |
Joburg |
17:00 |
| 16 Apr |
Highlanders vs Hurricanes |
Dunedin |
14:35 |
| |
Waratahs vs Brumbies |
Sydney |
19:40 |
| |
| 21 Apr |
Chiefs vs Cheetahs |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Reds vs Stormers |
Brisbane |
19:40 |
| |
W.Force vs Crusaders |
Perth |
19:40 |
| 22 Apr |
Brumbies vs Hurricanes |
Canberra |
19:40 |
| |
Sharks vs Blues |
Durban |
15:00 |
| |
Bulls vs Cats |
Pretoria |
17:00 |
| BYE |
Highlanders/Waratahs |
|
|
| |
| 28 Apr |
Highlanders vs Waratahs |
Dunedin |
19:35 |
| |
Cats vs W.Force |
Joburg |
19:10 |
| 29 Apr |
Hurricanes vs
Chiefs |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Brumbies vs Reds |
Canberra |
19:40 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Blues |
Bloem'tein |
15:00 |
| |
Bulls vs Sharks |
Pretoria |
17:00 |
| |
Stormers vs Crusaders |
Cape Town |
19:10 |
| |
| 05 May |
Hurricanes vs Reds |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Bulls vs Crusaders |
Pretoria |
19:10 |
| 06 May |
Chiefs vs
Waratahs |
T.B.C. |
19:35 |
| |
Brumbies vs Highlanders |
Canberra |
19:40 |
| |
Cheetahs vs W.Force |
Bloem'tein |
15:00 |
| |
Sharks vs Stormers |
Durban |
17:00 |
| |
Cats vs Blues |
Joburg |
19:10 |
| |
| 12 May |
Crusaders vs Brumbies |
Christchurch |
19:35 |
| |
Reds vs Highlanders |
Brisbane |
19:40 |
| |
Sharks vs W.Force |
Durban |
19:10 |
| 13 May |
Blues vs Chiefs |
Auckland |
19:35 |
| |
Waratahs vs Hurricanes |
Sydney |
19:40 |
| |
Cheetahs vs Cats |
Bloem'tein |
15:00 |
| |
Stormers vs Bulls |
Cape Town |
17:00 |
| All details are subject to change |
Source: SA Rugby
| 
