82-836: The Fijian Drua (currently known as the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby union team based in Fiji that competes in the Super Rugby . The team was created by the Fiji Rugby Union and launched in August 2017, shortly before the 2017 National Rugby Championship . The team previously competed in the Australian National Rugby Championship competition between 2017 and 2019, when
164-676: A 20-game home and away season in 2020 but Super Rugby AU played two additional knockout matches to decide the Australian title. Super Rugby Unlocked featured South Africa's four Super Rugby teams (the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers) plus former franchise the Cheetahs as well as the Currie Cup sides Griquas and Pumas . These seven teams competed in a single round-robin domestic format in 2020. In September 2020, SA Rugby announced
246-527: A TV deal worth more than A$ 1 billion beyond 2020. Specifically, he stated, "You could have a deal comparable to the other major sports in Australia. Rugby is a college (university) sport in the US , if soccer can create its own league there and sell teams for $ 40 million, imagine what you could do in 10–12 years with rugby in that market." By comparison, the largest TV deal in Australian sport, that of
328-538: A competition that did not include South African teams was a commercial non-starter because of large broadcast revenues from that country and because the NZRU considered Super Rugby matches in South Africa to be critical for national team development. SANZAR announced on 4 September 2013 that South Africa would be granted a sixth franchise starting in the 2016 season, negating the need for relegation play-offs involving
410-646: A crossover tournament. In September 2020, the South African Rugby Union withdrew their four franchises from the competition, with plans for them to join the PRO14 . The Argentine Jaguares also left the competition. In August 2021 a 12-team format was confirmed, with the addition of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, a team representing the Pacific islands. The tournament for 2022 and 2023
492-542: A five-year deal in late 2017, and ISC were their kit manufacturer. The team was also sponsored by Paradise Beverages , with the Fiji Gold Beer logo and the Ratu Rum brand appearing on the sleeves and back of the jersey. On 27 October 2021, New Balance were announced as the official apparel partner for the team in Super Rugby on a three-year deal. On 11 November 2021, Rooster Chicken were announced as one of
574-502: A fleet of 69 offshore vessels. Tidewater entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO), a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited, for approximately $ 190 million in early March 2022. Tidewater announced the completion of its acquisition of Swire Pacific Offshore on Friday 22 April 2022. The Swire Group's core businesses in Hong Kong are held by Swire Pacific Limited , listed on
656-675: A four-point loss to fellow countrymen the Blues. In 2004 the Brumbies took revenge on their 2000 final loss to the Crusaders defeating them 47–38 in front of a home crowd. The Crusaders would bounce back to win the 2005 final 35–25 against the Australian side the New South Wales Waratahs who reached their first-ever final. This was the last year of the 12 team format. From the early 2000s Australia had started to push for
738-552: A home quarter final. They were joined by four wild card teams, three from the Australasian group and one from the South African group. From the 2018 season the format changed again, with two South African teams and an Australian team being dropped. There were three conferences, one containing the five New Zealand teams, a South African one including Argentina's team and an Australian one including Japan's team. Due to
820-727: A jersey sponsor. While participating in the National Rugby Championship between 2017 and 2019, the Drua played their fixtures at ANZ Stadium, Suva (2017 and 2019), Churchill Park (2017, 2018 and 2019), Lawaqa Park (2017 and 2019) and Ratu Cakobau Park (2018) in Fiji. For Super Rugby , the Drua will play at least one fixture in Fiji during the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season , playing at ANZ Stadium, Suva in Round 7. A further match in Fiji could take place in 2022, with
902-813: A number of transnational competitions involving regional and provincial rugby union teams had taken shape in the southern hemisphere. The earliest of these was the South Pacific Championship , which was launched in 1986 and continued until 1990. After the demise of the South Pacific Championship, with no tournament played in 1991, the competition was relaunched as the Super 6 in 1992. The original Super 6 competition consisted of three provincial teams from New Zealand: Auckland , Canterbury , Wellington ; along with two Australian state teams: Queensland and New South Wales ; and also
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#1732780836627984-451: A particular focus on mixed-use development in prime locations at major mass transportation intersections. The company's investment portfolio in Hong Kong totals approximately 17.8 million sq ft (approximately 1.66 million square metres ) of gross floor area, with Pacific Place , Island East as its core holdings. In addition to Hong Kong, the company has a presence in China,
1066-406: Is London-based John Swire & Sons Limited . The Swire Group, started by John Swire (1787–1847) in 1816, had its beginnings as a modest Liverpool import-export company based mainly on the textile trade. Swire Pacific Offshore Holdings Limited (SPO), was a wholly owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific, supplying chartered vessels that supported the offshore oil and gas industry worldwide. It owned
1148-541: Is a highly diversified global conglomerate with its parent company being John Swire & Sons Limited that holds controlling stakes in a range of businesses trading in the UK, USA, Australia, Papua New Guinea, East and West Africa, and across Southeast Asia. The Group's businesses are arranged into groups: property, aviation, beverages and food chain, marine services, and trading and industrial. Its core businesses are mainly focused on Asia, with its key operations in Hong Kong and
1230-558: Is the wholly owned shipping arm of John Swire & Sons Limited, headquartered in Singapore . It operates shipping agencies for its liner shipping trades. The company has a 67% shareholding in Quadrant Pacific of New Zealand that provides third-party agency services to the forestry and oil industries, as well as husbandry services. Swire Bulk is a leading vessel owner and operator specializing in transporting cargoes in
1312-589: The Australian Football League ( Australian rules ), is worth A$ 1.26 billion from 2012 to 2016. Even that figure was dwarfed by the TV contracts of the NFL , for which contracts at the time were worth more than US$ 4 billion annually. Peters added that the conference-based structure was ideal for expanding the competition to new territories, either by adding new conferences or by adding teams to
1394-521: The COVID-19 pandemic the competition had to undergo a change in structure and be split into regionalised tournaments. There were two national competitions, Australia's Super Rugby AU and New Zealand's Super Rugby Aotearoa , and those were followed by Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in 2021, a crossover competition involving the five Australian sides playing the five New Zealand sides. Super Rugby currently only consists of Australian and New Zealand sides, with
1476-560: The COVID-19 pandemic , was played in two regionalised tournaments featuring the five New Zealand Super Rugby sides and the four Australian Super Rugby sides, plus the Western Force who had returned to the tournament having lost their licence at the end of the 2017 Super Rugby season . However, from 2022 onwards a new 12-team tournament had been mooted, and on 13 November 2020, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced
1558-688: The Fiji national team . In 1993, the Super Six competition was revamped and expanded into the Super 10 tournament. With South Africa being readmitted into international sport following the dismantling of apartheid, there was an opportunity to launch an expanded competition which would also feature South Africa's top provincial teams. The inaugural competition featured the following teams: Waikato , Auckland , Otago and North Harbour (New Zealand); Natal , Northern Transvaal and Transvaal (South Africa); Queensland and New South Wales (Australia) and Western Samoa (Pacific Tri-Nations winner). The Super 10
1640-477: The Hong Kong Stock Exchange . It also operates Swire Beverages Holdings Ltd and Swire Foods Holdings Ltd for their beverages and food chain group. In 1948, Swire Pacific acquired Cathay Pacific , Hong Kong's largest airline, and remains as the largest shareholder, with 42%. Incorporated in 1972, Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail and residential properties, with
1722-528: The Hurricanes 19–12. During the 2007 season, 22 All Blacks missed the competition's first seven rounds as part of an All Black "conditioning programme" that was a part of the All Blacks' 2007 Rugby World Cup preparations, and every New Zealand franchise was without players for the first seven rounds. At the end of the regular season, for the first time since 1998, no Australian franchise had made
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#17327808366271804-780: The SARU , was reportedly driven by internal union politics. With only five guaranteed places in Super Rugby but six active franchises, the bottom team in the South African Conference faced a promotion/relegation playoff with the sixth franchise for a place in the next season's competition. Australia and New Zealand warmed to the SARU proposal, as a trans-Tasman competition would potentially allow for more regional derbies, fewer time zone complications and less player travel. However, NZRU chief executive Steve Tew indicated that
1886-454: The South African Rugby Union , Brian van Rooyen. After van Rooyen was ousted as president, SARU announced that the Spears would not enter the competition. SARU investigated the viability of the Spears after discovering serious financial irregularities. A High Court of South Africa ruling stated that the Spears had a valid contract to compete in the Super 14 and Currie Cup. However, because of
1968-886: The 2020 Super Rugby competition to be cut short. As health concerns eased, other professional sports returned to play. The Super Rugby season was unable to resumed, however, due to border restrictions and the need for teams to be placed into quarantine upon arrival in each country. This resulted in New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia forming their own Super Rugby tournaments starting in June and July respectively, so that their teams could compete domestically. South African Rugby subsequently launched its own domestic Super Rugby competition which started play in October 2020. The three competitions formed were: Super Rugby Aotearoa featured all five New Zealand teams from Super Rugby:
2050-605: The 2022 season, the team will be based in Australia due to travel restrictions as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic , with the Lake Ainsworth Sports and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, New South Wales confirmed as the team's base for the 2022 season in November 2021. The team will be coached by Mick Byrne for 2022 and 2023. On 15 November 2021, the schedule for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season
2132-515: The Australian model of one franchise per union. This model differs from the traditional club-based model of other Australian sports; with 4 Super Rugby teams in Australia compared to the 16 Australian-based National Rugby League teams and the 18 teams of the Australian Football League . The Pacific Islands franchise, Moana Pasifika, played mainly in New Zealand during the 2022 season. The following sides have won Super Rugby titles since
2214-614: The Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes. Super Rugby AU included Australia's four teams, the Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies and Rebels, as well as former Super Rugby side, the Western Force . The Force had continued as a franchise after their 2017 post-season exclusion from Super Rugby and were playing in Global Rapid Rugby , also suspended due to COVID-19. The Australian and New Zealand competitions each scheduled
2296-641: The Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, with the Cheetahs and Kings losing their spots. The Cheetahs and Kings joined the Pro 12, which became the Pro14 from the 2017–2018 season onwards. On 11 August 2017, Australia announced that the Western Force had lost their licence. On 21 March 2019, SANZAAR confirmed that 2020 will be the Sunwolves last season of competition in Super Rugby. The global COVID-19 pandemic caused
2378-600: The Canterbury Crusaders became The Crusaders. Also South Africa followed the New Zealand franchise model, where previously South African participation was decided by the previous year's Currie Cup placings. SANZAR announced in December 2004 that a new five-year television deal had been signed that would cover 2006 to 2010, with News Corporation winning the rights for the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and SuperSport winning rights for South Africa. The contract
2460-587: The Chinese Mainland. Within Asia, Swire's activities come under the group's publicly quoted arm, Swire Pacific Limited , which is the largest shareholder in two Hong Kong listed companies: Swire Properties and Cathay Pacific. Taikoo ( 太古 ) is the Chinese name of Swire. It serves as the brand name for businesses such as Taikoo Sugar and Taikoo Shing . The Swire Group's privately owned parent company
2542-515: The Drua were able to reschedule their round 15 match so it could be played in Fiji, at Churchill Park . The squad for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season is: Props Hookers Locks Loose forwards Scrum-halves Fly-halves Centres Outside backs The following coaching team was appointed for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season : Swire Steamships Trading Company Swire Beverages Swire Shipping Swire Resources Swire Group ( Chinese : 太古集團 )
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2624-619: The Fijian Drua, along with the Moana Pasifika as its preferred partners to join the competition. Further steps were made in March 2021, when the New Zealand Rugby Union agreed to a sharing of broadcast revenue with both the Drua and Moana Pasifika, and this was followed later in the same month by World Rugby announcing financial, high performance and administrative support for both potential new sides, in order to boost
2706-682: The Japanese Sunwolves departing the competition after the 2020 season, the South African sides voting to leave to join an expanded PRO14 (Later known as the United Rugby Championship ), and the Argentine Jaguares not set to compete in any Super Rugby tournament in 2021. From 2022, the tournament reverted to round robin format featuring 12 teams, with the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika joining
2788-535: The Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the Super 12 in the 1996 season with 12 teams from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, building on competitions dating back to the South Pacific Championship in 1986. The Super 12 was established by SANZAR after the sport became professional in 1995. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced
2870-602: The Shanghai Municipality in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, and 13 states in the western United States. This territory represents a population of 780 million people. Swire Pacific was formed in 1974 (from Taikoo Swire) to become the main holding company for Swire's Hong Kong–based assets. Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and
2952-601: The Super 12, the Unions had a product that was in demand from viewers, enabling them to sell a 10-year contract for exclusive television rights to News Corp for US$ 555 million, giving them both coverage and financial support to kickstart the new competition. With significant sponsorship, and rugby turning a professional sport in August 1995, the Super 12 competition successfully kicked off in 1996 with five New Zealand franchises, four South African provinces and three domestic Australian teams competing. New Zealand's dominance of
3034-544: The UK when it started production at its plant near Motherwell in Scotland in 2005. The firm makes its road fuel by recycling wastes and residues from other industries – specifically used cooking oil which is a waste from the food industry, tallow from the meat industry, and sewer grease. Swire is an anchor bottler in the Coca-Cola System. It is the bottler of Coca-Cola and its related products in 11 provinces and
3116-619: The United States and the United Kingdom. In China, Swire Properties has a portfolio amounting to approximately 12.9 million sq ft (approximately 1.20 million square metres ), the majority of which is under construction. The five projects consist of mixed-use developments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, with Sanlitun Village and The Opposite House hotel in Beijing being the best-known among them. In 2008,
3198-607: The beginning of the Crusaders' three-year dominance as they went on to win the 1999 and 2000 finals over the Otago Highlanders and ACT Brumbies respectively. The 2001 season was the first in which no New Zealand franchise reached the final, being contested between the ACT Brumbies and Sharks with the Brumbies convincing winners, with a 36–6 scoreline. The Crusaders won their 4th final in 2002 winning all 11 matches and missed out on their 5th in 2003 with
3280-566: The company also provides project charters. The company has a 100% shareholding in Pacific Towing , which has a harbor towing, offshore support and salvage operation that owns and operates 12 tugs and nine line boats across seven ports in Papua New Guinea. John Swire & Sons (Green Investments) Ltd has acquired Scottish biodiesel producer Argent Energy. Argent Energy pioneered large scale commercial biodiesel production in
3362-405: The company formed Swire Hotels to create and manage urban hotels in Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom. Swire Resources is a Hong Kong retail company specializing in sports apparel, swimwear, and footwear. The company is the Hong Kong distributor for several major international brands, including Aldo , Arena , Columbia Sportswear , Crocs , Rockport , and Speedo . Swire Shipping
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3444-607: The competition began in the first year when the Auckland Blues won the inaugural competition defeating South African side the Sharks 45–21 in a home final. The Blues would repeat the success of 1996 beating Australian side the ACT Brumbies 23–7 in the 1997 final. The Blues then reached their third successive final in 1998 but went down to fellow countrymen the Canterbury Crusaders 13–20. This would mark
3526-493: The competition to split into three, the reformed competition in 2021 only included teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands. The name was changed to Super 14 with the addition of two teams for the 2006 season , and with expansion to 15 teams for the 2011 season , the competition was rebranded as Super Rugby (with no number). In 2016 two new teams, the Jaguares from Argentina and Sunwolves from Japan, joined
3608-561: The competition, playing in two newly separated African groups. In 2018, the Cheetahs, Kings and Western Force were dropped, leaving 15 teams. The Sunwolves left the competition before the end of the 2020 season. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Due to international travel restrictions relating to the pandemic, Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby held domestic tournaments, Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Aotearoa respectively. Both these tournaments continued in 2021, to be followed by Super Rugby Trans-Tasman ,
3690-493: The competition. The two new teams didn't perform all that well, the South African franchise the Cheetahs did the better of the two teams finishing 10th on the ladder notching up 5 season wins. The Australian franchise the Western Force only managed one victory and ended winning the wooden spoon as last placed 14th. The highlight for the Force was a 23-all draw against eventual champions the Crusaders, who defeated first-time finalists
3772-508: The competition. There are no divisions from 2022 onwards, with one main log being used instead, and top 8 teams qualifying for the playoffs. Since 2022, each Super Rugby season has featured a "Super Round", where an entire round of Super Rugby matches is played over a weekend at a single stadium; both the 2022 and 2023 Super Rounds were played at AAMI Park in Melbourne , with the 2024 Super Round set to be played there as well. Before 1996,
3854-587: The conclusion of the Super Rugby tournament; the Tri-Nations preceded the Rugby Championship before Argentina joined the competition. The organisation was formed in 1996 to establish and run the Super 12, and Tri-Nations Tournament. Prior to 2011, Super Rugby was a round-robin competition where each team played every other team once; a team had six or seven home games, and six or seven away games each. The winner received four competition points; if
3936-434: The country's existing four teams plus the Cheetahs , which draws its players from the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces . For the 2007 season, the Southern Spears , based in Port Elizabeth , were originally intended to replace the lowest-finishing South African team from the 2006 competition. However, the existing South African Super 14 franchises opposed the plan, which was pushed through by controversial president of
4018-404: The current conferences. He also discussed the possibility that offshore Super Rugby teams could be a home for surplus players from the SANZAR countries, keeping them in the SANZAR fold and away from European clubs. Prior to Super Rugby's broadcast contracts expiring after the 2015 season, SANZAR considered several alternatives for the competition's future organisation: The last proposal, made by
4100-399: The current five Australian and five New Zealand sides to be joined by Moana Pasifika , and a Fijian side. New Zealand Rugby has confirmed that it intends to partner with Fiji Rugby and Moana Pasifika, along with Australia going forward. In April 2021, it was announced that licences had been offered to the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika ahead of joining Super Rugby in 2022. The new format
4182-433: The deal. Under the new deal, Australia and South Africa each got one extra team in the competition, and a third round of fixtures was added to the Tri Nations Series. The new Australian team in the competition was based in Perth and was named the Western Force . The addition of the new South African team led to considerable controversy, including government involvement. Finally, the five teams for 2006 were confirmed to be
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#17327808366274264-512: The dry bulk segment, that currently own and chartered-in a fleet of 125 modern, fuel-efficient vessels worldwide, predominantly in the handy-size and supra / ultramax sector. Steamships Trading Company is a diversified leader in shipping, transport, property and commercial operation in Papua New Guinea. The company has a 70% shareholding in Consort Express Lines , a leading provider of coastal and river shipping services in Papua New Guinea. Its liner trades service 17 ports in Papua New Guinea and
4346-426: The final, played at the same venue a week later, the Drua avenged their previous losses to Queensland Country with a 36–26 win to take the 2018 National Rugby Championship title. The 2019 season saw the Drua once again make the playoffs, finishing with three wins, two draws and two defeats. However, they were unable to defend their title, losing in the semi-finals to Canberra Vikings . This would be their last match in
4428-423: The fourth placed team, and the second placed team hosting the third placed team. The two winners then played the final at the home ground of the top surviving seed. There were 91 regular season games in total. Games were held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye . From 2011 – 2015 the format changed, with each country forming its own conference . Each team within a conference played each of
4510-423: The game was a draw two points were awarded to each team. The bonus points system was also used, where any team scoring four or more tries, and/or losing by seven points or less, receives an extra competition point. In 2016, the try bonus changed. A team now has to score three more tries than their opponents. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then played semi-finals – the first placed team hosting
4592-423: The inclusion of a fourth Australian team, and South Africa for another team from its country. There was also speculation of including a team from the South Pacific Island nations, such as Fiji; or a combined Pacific Islanders team from Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Argentina was also pushing for inclusion in the Super 12. In the early 2000s the provincial names from the New Zealand franchises were dropped, so, for example,
4674-451: The organisation was considering adding franchises in Argentina, Japan and the United States in 2016, the first year of SANZAR's next television contract. This was also the year that rugby sevens entered the Olympics , which contributed towards increased interest in the sport in many countries, including Japan and the US. Australian sports broadcasting analyst Colin Smith noted that the addition of Japanese and American teams could result in
4756-414: The organisation's financial and administrative troubles, in November 2006 a settlement was reached. The Spears abandoned their legal case, and will continue to exist, but not compete in the Super 14. SANZAR rejected a proposal to split the Super 14 into two seven-team divisions, and decided to keep the competition in its traditional single-table format. Argentina and the Pacific Islands remained shut out of
4838-423: The other four teams from their own country twice and the other ten teams once each; the season has to end with a six-team finals series. There were four major compromises, however, designed to accommodate certain wishes of each country, that somewhat complicated the model: SANZAR announced in 2009 the addition of a fifth Australian team that would play in the expanded "Super Rugby" competition in 2011. The licence
4920-489: The other teams in its conference twice, once at home and once away. Each team then played four out of the five teams from each of the other conferences once. Competition points were awarded on a similar basis as before. The format of the finals also changed; it involved six teams: the top team in each of the three conferences plus the three next teams with the highest total number of points, regardless of conference. The four lower ranking teams were paired in two sudden death games;
5002-433: The performances of Pacific Islands at international level, while also being able to stay local instead of heading overseas. On 14 April 2021, both sides were granted licences to join Super Rugby in 2022 by the New Zealand Rugby Union . On 30 August 2021, the side was confirmed in Super Rugby for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, beginning with the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season . The team will be based in Suva , however for
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#17327808366275084-402: The rest of the Drua's home matches taking place in Australia, with the CommBank Stadium in Parramatta , Leichhardt Oval in Sydney and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane being confirmed as hosting venues. Due to flooding in the Brisbane area of Australia, the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Kawana Waters was used for their round 3 match, while following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions,
5166-413: The resurgence of the national Flying Fijians team to be competitive at the top level as it has a squad of local based players playing in an elite professional competition and has unearthed stars such as Vinaya Habosi , Selestino Ravutaumada , Iosefo Masi , and Isoa Nasilasila . When the team competed in the National Rugby Championship , Fiji Airways were the principal sponsor for the Drua, signing
5248-493: The season, but then lost three of their remaining four matches to finish in third place. The team was well beaten by the eventual Champions Queensland Country in their semifinal. The Drua finished on top of the table after the regular season in the following year, losing only one match away to Queensland Country. In the last round they won the Horan-Little Shield by defeating Perth Spirit away in Perth, before beating Canberra Vikings in their semifinal at home in Lautoka . In
5330-417: The semi-finals. Although the Brumbies were strong and the Western Force experienced vast improvement, it was a poor season for the Queensland Reds and Waratahs who finished last and second last respectively. Also, the competition featured the first all-South African final as the Sharks and Bulls , who finished 1–2 on the season ladder, both won their respective semi-finals. The final, held in Durban , saw
5412-465: The sixth South African franchise. SANZAR then announced on 20 November 2014 that Japan and Argentina would each be allocated a team from the 2016 season onwards. In 2017, the Australian Rugby Union was rebranded to Rugby Australia . In April 2017, SANZAAR confirmed the competition would be reduced to 15 teams in 2018 with two South African and one Australian team to have their franchises withdrawn. Subsequently, four South African teams took part:
5494-420: The team and have taken Rugby Australia to court over the decision. The Rebels will not take part in the 2025 Super Rugby season. There are eleven franchises currently in Super Rugby; four from Australia, one from Fiji, five from New Zealand, and one representing the Pacific Islands. Each franchise is representing a franchise area, with each franchise in New Zealand representing a collection of unions, compared to
5576-409: The team's jersey sponsors on a three-year deal, while on 16 November 2021, PacificAus (a sports programme set up by the Australian government) were announced as sponsors of the team on a three-year deal. On 17 November 2021, during the team's kit reveal for the 2022 season, Swire Shipping were announced as the team's naming rights sponsor for 2022, while Fiji Airways will return to sponsor the side as
5658-494: The three nations against each other. In addition it was decided to hold an annual Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries. A significant reason for the development of the Super 12 was the threat to rugby union from rival football code rugby league : part of the business model for the Foxtel pay TV network in Australia was to attract subscribers by offering an exclusive product (such as rugby union) which could not be seen on free-to-air broadcast television. By setting up
5740-464: The tournament as the tournament was disbanded following a change in TV deal at the end of 2020, with the 2020 edition having been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Following the conclusion of the 2020 Super Rugby season , the licences for the South African Super Rugby sides; the Bulls , the Lions , the Sharks and the Stormers , the Argentine Jaguares and the Japanese Sunwolves all expired. The 2021 Super Rugby season , still affected by
5822-520: The tournament was disbanded. On 14 April 2021, New Zealand Rugby Union confirmed the side had been granted a licence to join the Super Rugby competition. In July 2017, the Fiji Rugby Union announced that they would enter a team in the Australian domestic National Rugby Championship from the 2017 season onwards following successful negotiations with the Australian Rugby Union , with home matches being played in Suva as well as regional cities Lautoka and Sigatoka . On 25 July, Senirusi Seruvakula
5904-453: The visiting Bulls win 20–19. During the time the competition was branded as the Super 14, only two teams won the tournament. The Crusaders winning the 2006 and 2008 tournaments; while the Bulls ended victorious in 2007, 2009, and 2010 respectively. SANZAR unveiled in 2009 its model for an expanded season that would begin in 2011. This model was based around the original ARU proposal for three national conferences: each side were to have played
5986-438: The winners of those two games each played one of the two top ranked teams (which received a bye at the start of the finals). Those winners played for the championship. For the 2016 and 2017 seasons the format changed again, with three more teams joining, one each from Argentina, Japan and South Africa. There were four conferences, with Africa getting two conferences. The finals had eight teams with each conference winner getting
6068-449: The withdrawal from Super Rugby of all of their teams, with plans for the four sides to join an expanded Pro14/United Rugby Championship competition. Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU continued in 2021, Super Rugby Trans-Tasman would also take place in 2021, a crossover competition featuring the Australian sides playing the New Zealand sides. In the longer term, a new 12-team tournament from 2022 onwards had been mooted, with
6150-508: Was announced, with the Drua's inaugural match against the Blues in Auckland. On 21 January 2022, Nemani Nagusa was named captain for the 2022 season. The team is named after the drua , a traditional Fijian double canoe that served as warships in naval battles. The team's logo originally pictured a drua stylised inside a rugby ball, to symbolise Fijian players' speed, agility and flair. It
6232-755: Was awarded to Victoria , Australia, and the team's name announced as the Melbourne Rebels . The Australian start-up franchise was given the nod ahead of South Africa's Southern Kings . Brian Waldron, former CEO of the NRL club the Melbourne Storm , was confirmed as the new CEO of the Rebels on 11 January 2010, but resigned on 23 April after a salary cap breach was uncovered at the Storm. In February 2012, SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters announced that
6314-475: Was confirmed in August 2021, with the tournament branded as Super Rugby Pacific, with the competition returning to a round robin format, although the divisions will be replaced by one main log instead. In 2024, the Melbourne Rebels, following a period of financial difficulties and being placed into administration, were shut down by Rugby Australia. The Rebels board have challenged the decision to cut
6396-608: Was named Super Rugby Pacific . The competition has been dominated by New Zealand teams, who have won 19 times in 26 years. The Crusaders have won most often, with 12 titles. SANZAAR is the body that administers Super Rugby, and has the Australian , New Zealand , South African and Argentine rugby unions as its members. SANZAAR also runs the Rugby Championship tournament that is contested by Argentina , Australia , New Zealand , and South Africa following
6478-508: Was named as the head coach of the team for their inaugural season, and a few days later the first players were invited to a training camp. The team's name, logo and kit was revealed on 16 August 2017, with the FRU announcing that the team would be known as the Fijian Drua. In their first year of competition in NRC 2017, the Drua won three of their first four matches to be well placed at the midpoint of
6560-465: Was replaced when the team joined Super Rugby , with the new logo picturing a drua. The Fijian Drua colours while participating in the National Rugby Championship were sky blue, black and white. The Drua franchise has galvanised the small island nation which has a huge fanbase both in Fiji and abroad. Home games for the Drua are always packed with the sounds of their battle cry 'Toso Drua Toso' echoing throughout all their games. The team has also led to
6642-494: Was won by Transvaal (South Africa) in 1993, and by Queensland (Australia) in 1994 and 1995. The official declaration of professionalism in rugby union in August 1995 led to a restructuring of the Super 10 competition. Following the success of the 1995 World Cup , the rugby boards of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa formed SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) to administer an annual 12-team provincial/franchise based competition pitting regional teams from
6724-539: Was worth US$ 323 million over five years, a 16% annual increase compared to the previous deal. It covers international fixtures as well as the Super 14. SANZAR remained free to negotiate separate deals for other markets, such as France, Japan and the Americas. The TriNations is the "cash cow" for the SANZAR partners as it provides nearly 60 per cent of the money from News Ltd. The Super 14 made up about 30 per cent of
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