WELLINGTON, Sept 10, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Next year’s Super Rugby season has
been brought forward to late January, organisers said Tuesday, the height of
the southern hemisphere summer with tennis and cricket fixtures still in full
swing.
Kick-off times will also be 25-30 minutes earlier for evening matches in a
bid to create a more family-friendly environment for the competition.
“We believe (this) will be widely welcomed by rugby fans and will give
young families an opportunity to get out and enjoy the night at the rugby,”
Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said.
The 25th edition of Super Rugby, much changed throughout its history as it
searches for an ideal formula, features 15 teams from South Africa,
Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Japan in three conferences, with each
playing 16 regular-season matches and sitting out two byes.
Unlike previous non-World Cup years, there will be no mid-season break in
June to accommodate internationals because the Test window has been shifted
to July.
As a result, the season will run from January 31 to June 20, rather than
mid-February to early August.
It means the opening weekend will clash with the climax of the Australian
Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.
The England cricket team’s tour of South Africa will also be getting
underway in early February, while New Zealand’s Black Caps are hosting India.
The 2020 season will be the last employing Super Rugby’s unpopular
conference system, which critics say is too complicated and does not result
in the best teams making the finals.
It will also be the farewell season for Japan’s Sunwolves after SANZAAR
(South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby) booted out the
Tokyo-based team, which was introduced in 2016 to grow rugby in Asia.
SANZAAR chief Andy Marinos said Super Rugby remained one of the sport’s
premier competitions.
“The complexity of the draw and managing logistics and scheduling that
delivers a draw that is fair and equitable has been our priority,” he said.
The opening round features derbies between New Zealand’s Auckland Blues and
Waikato Chiefs, Australia’s ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds, as well as
South African rivals Coastal Sharks and Northern Bulls.