2015 SUPER RUGBY DRAW REVEALED
Crusaders v Rebels to get the season underway in Christchurch on 13 February
Defending champion Waratahs to start at home against the Force in Round 1
Anzac Centenary weekend sees all 10 Australian and New Zealand teams in action across Round 11 (two derbies and three Trans-Tasman clashes)
Waratahs host the Crusaders at ANZ Stadium in a Round 15 re-match of the record-breaking 2014 Super Rugby Final
All five South African teams are in action on home soil during Rounds 1-3
The five top-rating matches of the 2014 Super Rugby season will recur in 2015
The Super Rugby Finals Series will commence on the weekend of 19 June with the Final to be played on Saturday 4 July
All teams to start on the same weekend (February 13-15) and no June international window due to 2015 Rugby World Cup
Seven-time champions the Crusaders will get the 2015 Super Rugby campaign underway when they welcome the Rebels to AMI Stadium on Friday 13 February. The match is the first of an opening night double-header with a fierce Australian derby between the Brumbies and Reds following in Canberra.
The Sharks and the Bulls launch their seasons at home with derbies against the Cheetahs and Stormers respectively while the Lions will host the Hurricanes at Ellis Park and come Sunday, all eyes will be focused on Allianz Stadium as the defending champion Waratahs meet the Force.
With the Anzac Centenary occurring in 2015, SANZAR has orchestrated the draw to ensure five matches involving Australian and New Zealand teams are played across this hugely significant weekend.
Back-to-back fixtures between Chiefs v Force and Brumbies v Highlanders on Friday April 24 see the round commence with clashes on either side of the Tasman before a pair of key derbies take centre stage on Anzac Day.
The Blues travel to Christchurch to renew their rivalry with the Crusaders before the Waratahs host the Rebels at ANZ Stadium in a battle between two traditional Australian foes who will vie for the Weary Dunlop Shield, a trophy bearing the name of a hero whose name resonates loudly throughout rugby and the armed forces.
SANZAR Chief Executive Greg Peters said, “A great deal of thought and planning has gone into the 2015 draw and we are absolutely thrilled to have produced an outcome that sees Australian and New Zealand teams all in action across the Anzac Centenary weekend.
“It will be a tremendous occasion for people to come together to reflect on the significance of the day beyond the rugby field and we expect this will be a highly poignant and memorable occasion.”
All five matches of the 2014 Super Rugby Finals Series will recur during the 2015 Regular Season, including a re-match of the record-breaking Final when the Waratahs and Crusaders return to Sydney’s ANZ Stadium in Round 15.
The season commences on the same weekend of February, but concludes one month earlier to allow national teams adequate time to prepare for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on 18 September. As a result, there will be no June Test window in the 2015 Super Rugby season.
With some venues unavailable due to a clash with other events, New Zealand teams are taking the opportunity to consider delivering their Super Rugby fixtures to alternative locations, particularly in regional areas.
Mr Peters concluded, “The 2015 season marks the final year of Super Rugby in its current format before the competition expands into a bold new era from 2016.
“As we plan for the future, we also eagerly look forward to seeing how the coming season pans out following one of the most competitive years in the history of Super Rugby.”
TEAM-BY-TEAM
Each team plays home and away derbies within their own conference, plus the following cross-conference matches in the 2015 Super Rugby season:
Brumbies: Chiefs (A) Cheetahs (H) Blues (A) Highlanders (H) Stormers (A) Lions (A) Bulls (H) Crusaders (A)
Force: Hurricanes (H) Bulls (A) Sharks (A) Cheetahs (H) Stormers (H) Chiefs (A) Blues (A) Highlanders (H)
Rebels: Crusaders (A) Lions (H) Hurricanes (A) Chiefs (H) Blues (H) Stormers (A) Sharks (A) Bulls (H)
Reds: Highlanders (A) Lions (H) Bulls (A) Cheetahs (A) Hurricanes (H) Crusaders (A) Sharks (H) Chiefs (H)
Waratahs: Highlanders (A) Blues (H) Stormers (H) Hurricanes (A) Sharks (H) Crusaders (H) Lions (A) Cheetahs (A)
Blues: Stormers (A) Cheetahs (A) Lions (H) Waratahs (A) Brumbies (H) Force (H) Rebels (A) Bulls (H)
Chiefs: Brumbies (H) Stormers (A) Sharks (A) Cheetahs (H) Force (H) Rebels (A) Bulls (H) Reds (A)
Crusaders: Rebels (H) Lions (H) Cheetahs (H) Bulls (A) Sharks (A) Reds (H) Waratahs (A) Brumbies (A)
Highlanders: Reds (H) Waratahs (H) Stormers (H) Brumbies (A) Sharks (H) Lions (A) Cheetahs (A) Force (A)
Hurricanes: Lions (A) Bulls (A) Force (A) Rebels (H) Stormers (H) Waratahs (H) Reds (A) Sharks (H)
Bulls: Hurricanes (H) Force (H) Crusaders (H) Reds (H) Blues (A) Chiefs (A) Brumbies (A) Rebels (A)
Cheetahs: Blues (H) Crusaders (A) Chiefs (A) Brumbies (A) Force (A) Reds (H) Highlanders (H) Waratahs (H)
Lions: Hurricanes (H) Blues (A) Crusaders (A) Rebels (A) Reds (A) Highlanders (H) Brumbies (H) Waratahs (H)
Sharks: Chiefs (H) Force (H) Crusaders (H) Highlanders (A) Hurricanes (A) Waratahs (A) Reds (A) Rebels (H)
Stormers: Blues (H) Chiefs (H) Highlanders (A) Hurricanes (A) Waratahs (A) Force (A) Brumbies (H) Rebels (H)
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