Draw provides Highlanders early finals rematch
Super Rugby fans will not have to wait long for a rematch of the 2015 final when the new season kicks off in February.
The draw for the competition was released yesterday, with the Highlanders set to host the Hurricanes in round two – one of two round robin games between the sides next year.
That follows on from a bumper opening night on February 26, when three of last year’s four semifinalists square off – last year’s winners the Highlanders begin their title defence against the Blues in Auckland, before losing semifinalists the Brumbies host the beaten finalists the Hurricanes.
Japan will host its first Super Rugby match on the opening weekend, as the Lions travel to Tokyo to take on the yet to be named Japanese team.
The new Argentinian team gets its maiden Super Rugby campaign under way in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs.
Argentina will have to wait until round four to host its first match, with the Chiefs travelling to the South American country, although a venue is still to be confirmed.
The Australasian group features separate Australian and New Zealand conferences each comprising their existing five teams, while the South African group contains two conferences with the Bulls, Cheetahs, Stormers and the Japanese team on one side and the Kings, Lions, Sharks and the Argentinian team on the other. Teams will play 15 matches, six within their own conference, five against an Australasian conference opponent and four against a South African conference team, with two byes across the 17-week regular season.
The playoffs will feature eight teams: the four conference winners plus the three next highest-ranked teams from the Australasian group and the next highestranked team from the South African group. There will be straight quarterfinals, with the conference winners seeded 1-4 based on overall points from the regular season and the highest-ranked team will play at home in each match-up.
Sanzar interim chief executive Brendan Morris said Super Rugby was on the cusp of a new era. ‘‘We are in the envious position to be delivering our great brand of rugby to new cities and international markets, unlocking a host of commercial opportunities and delivering the unbridled excitement of Super Rugby to a legion of new and existing fans.’’
The Highlanders will keep their 2015 Super Rugby trophy, with a new one made for the new competition.