SANZAR reveal 2013 Super Rugby fixture list
Article Published: Friday 21 September 2012
The Australian Conference teams will be the only teams playing in Round 1 of the Competition with four of the teams in action.
The same will occur in Round 17 (just before the Super Rugby season ‘breaks’ for the June inbounds), while Rounds 18 and 19 (after the break) will feature only New Zealand and South African Conference teams.
This has been necessitated by the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, which will see their Test matches against the tourists played on different dates to the normal ‘June inbound’ schedules.
"The Lions tour to Australia presented some unique challenges in preparing the 2013 Super Rugby draw," SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said.
"We are very appreciative of cooperation we received from the National Unions and broadcasters in preparing this draw and working through the issues."
Peters said there was much excitement building despite being months out.
"Over the last two seasons we have seen two franchises – the Reds and the Chiefs –win the Super Rugby trophy for the first time," Peters said.
"The emphasis in early rounds is again on local derbies that have again proven to be the most watched and attended matches in 2012."
The defending champion Chiefs begin their campaign in Dunedin against the Highlanders on Friday, 22 February at Forsyth Barr Stadium, the same evening the Rebels host the Reds at AAMI Park.
The Bulls and the Stormers kick off the season for the South African Conference with a titanic match scheduled for Loftus Versfeld later that Friday evening.
Saturday, 27 April in Round Eleven will see a 2012 Super Rugby Final re-match again in Chiefs territory for last season’s runners up the Sharks.
The second round of the season, when the South African and New Zealand teams kick off their campaigns, sees a ‘Super Saturday’ early, with the Hurricanes (v Blues), Reds (v Waratahs), Cheetahs (v Sharks) and Kings (v Force) hosting in what will be four consecutive matches to complete the first full weekend of proceedings.
Joining Super Rugby for the first time, the Kings’ first match against a team from their own Conference will be when the Sharks arrive at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, 9 March, and a week later the new boys will play their first Kiwi side in the Chiefs.
The Crusaders and the Force will have byes in the early stages, and will not play their first home matches in Christchurch and Perth respectively until Rounds Five and Six.
Also notable is that the Blues will play a Sunday match against the Bulls in Round Four, while the Waratahs will host consecutive Sunday fixtures in Round Six and Round Seven – with the Crusaders, Brumbies and Force other sides to play on the last day of the weekend throughout the season.
Peters said the draw would build on the successes of 2012.
"The 2012 Super Rugby season was the most watched season of Super Rugby ever, both in terms of those attending matches live and also viewing on television. The 2013 draw will hopefully see us grow those numbers again," he said.
The Super Rugby Finals Series starts on Friday, 19 July, with the Super Rugby Qualifiers scheduled for that weekend – while the Super Rugby Semi-Finals will take place on 26 / 27 July, with the Super Rugby Final to be played on Saturday, 3 August.
Round 1 (Australian teams only)
February 15 - Melbourne Rebels (AUS) v Western Force (AUS), Melbourne
Feb 16 - Brumbies (AUS) v Queensland Reds (AUS), Canberra
NSW Waratahs (AUS) - bye
Round 2
Feb 22 - Highlanders (NZL) v Chiefs (NZL) Venue TBC
Feb 22 - Melbourne Rebels (AUS) v Brumbies (AUS), Melbourne
Feb 22 - Bulls (RSA) v Stormers (RSA), Pretoria
Feb 23 - Hurricanes (NZL) v Blues (NZL) Venue TBC
Feb 23 - Queensland Reds (AUS) v Waratahs (AUS), Brisbane
Feb 23 - Cheetahs (RSA) v Sharks (RSA), Bloemfontein
Feb 23 - Southern Kings (RSA) v Western Force (AUS), Port Elizabeth
Crusaders (NZL) - bye
Round 3
March 1 - Blues v Crusaders, Venue TBC
March 1 - Reds v Hurricanes, Brisbane
March 2 - Chiefs v Cheetahs, Venue TBC
March 2 - Waratahs v Rebels, Sydney
March 2 - Bulls v Force, Pretoria
March 2 - Sharks v Stormers, Durban
Brumbies, Highlanders, Kings - byes
Round 4
March 8 - Hurricanes v Crusaders, Venue TBC
March 8 - Rebels v Reds, Melbourne
March 9 - Highlanders v Cheetahs, Venue TBC
March 9 - Brumbies v Waratahs, Canberra
March 9 - Stormers v Chiefs, Cape Town
March 9 - Kings v Sharks, Port Elizabeth
March 10 - Blues v Bulls, Venue TBC
Force - bye
Round 5
March 15 - Highlanders v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
March 15 - Waratahs v Cheetahs, Sydney
March 15 - Kings v Chiefs, Port Elizabeth
March 16 - Crusaders v Bulls, Christchurch
March 16 - Reds v Force, Brisbane
March 16 - Sharks v Brumbies, Durban
Blues, Rebels, Stormers - byes
Round 6
March 22 - Chiefs v Highlanders, Venue TBC
March 23 - Crusaders v Kings, Christchurch
March 23 - Reds v Bulls, Brisbane
March 23 - Force v Cheetahs, Perth
March 23 - Sharks v Rebels, Durban
March 23 - Stormers v Brumbies, Cape Town
March 24 - Waratahs v Blues, Sydney
Hurricanes - bye
Round 7 (Easter)
March 29 - Highlanders v Reds, Venue TBC
March 30 - Hurricanes v Kings, Venue TBC
March 30 - Chiefs v Blues, Venue TBC
March 30 - Brumbies v Bulls, Canberra
March 30 - Cheetahs v Rebels, Bloemfontein
March 30 - Stormers v Crusaders, Cape Town
March 31 - Waratahs v Force, Sydney
Sharks - bye
Round 8
April 5 - Blues v Highlanders, Venue TBC
April 5 - Brumbies v Kings, Canberra
April 5 - Sharks v Crusaders, Durban
April 6 - Hurricanes v Waratahs, Venue TBC
April 6 - Force v Rebels, Perth
April 6 - Cheetahs v Stormers, Bloemfontein
Bulls, Chiefs, Reds - byes
Round 9
April 12 - Highlanders v Brumbies, Venue TBC
April 13 - Chiefs v Reds, Venue TBC
April 13 - Blues v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
April 13 - Rebels v Kings, Melbourne
April 13 - Force v Crusaders, Perth
April 13 - Stormers v Sharks, Cape Town
April 13 - Bulls v Cheetahs, Pretoria
Waratahs - bye
Round 10
April 19 - Hurricanes v Force, Venue TBC
April 19 - Waratahs v Chiefs, Sydney
April 20 - Crusaders v Highlanders, Christchurch
April 20 - Reds v Brumbies, Brisbane
April 20 - Sharks v Cheetahs, Durban
April 20 - Kings v Bulls, Port Elizabeth
Blues, Rebels, Stormers - byes
Round 11
April 26 - Hurricanes v Stormers, Venue TBC
April 26 - Reds v Blues, Brisbane
April 27 - Chiefs v Sharks, Venue TBC
April 27 - Brumbies v Force, Canberra
April 27 - Bulls v Waratahs, Pretoria
April 27 - Cheetahs v Kings, Bloemfontein
April 28 - Crusaders v Rebels, Christchurch
Highlanders - bye
Round 12
May 3 - Blues v Stormers, Venue TBC
TBC - Rebels v Chiefs, Melbourne
May 4 - Highlanders v Sharks, Venue TBC
May 4 - Force v Reds, Perth
May 4 - Kings v Waratahs, Port Elizabeth
May 4 - Bulls v Hurricanes, Pretoria
May 5 - Brumbies v Crusaders, Canberra
Cheetahs - bye
Round 13
May 10 - Chiefs v Force, Venue TBC
May 10 - Reds v Sharks, Brisbane
May 10 - Cheetahs v Hurricanes, Bloemfontein
May 11 - Blues v Rebels, Venue TBC
May 11 - Waratahs v Stormers, Sydney
May 11 - Kings v Highlanders, Port Elizabeth
Brumbies, Bulls, Crusaders - byes
Round 14
May 17 - Hurricanes v Chiefs, Venue TBC
May 17 - Rebels v Stormers, Melbourne
May 17 - Force v Sharks, Perth
May 18 - Crusaders v Blues, Christchurch
May 18 - Waratahs v Brumbies, Sydney
May 18 - Bulls v Highlanders, Pretoria
May 18 - Cheetahs v Reds, Bloemfontein
Kings - bye
Round 15
May 24 - Chiefs v Crusaders, Venue TBC
May 24 - Rebels v Waratahs, Melbourne
May 25 - Blues v Brumbies, Venue TBC
May 25 - Force v Highlanders, Perth
May 25 - Kings v Cheetahs, Port Elizabeth
May 25 - Stormers v Reds, Cape Town
May 25 - Sharks v Bulls, Durban
Hurricanes - bye
Round 16
May 31 - Crusaders v Waratahs, Christchurch
May 31 - Brumbies v Hurricanes, Canberra
June 1 - Highlanders v Blues, Venue TBC
June 1 - Reds v Rebels, Brisbane
June 1 - Stormers v Kings, Cape Town
June 1 - Cheetahs v Bulls, Bloemfontein
Chiefs, Force, Sharks - byes
Round 17 (Australian teams only)
June 7 - Brumbies v Rebels, Canberra
June 9 - Force v Waratahs, Perth
Reds - bye
Round 18
(New Zealand/South African teams only)
June 28 - Chiefs v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
June 29 - Highlanders v Crusaders, Venue TBC
June 29 - Sharks v Blues, Durban
June 29 - Bulls v Kings, Pretoria
June 29 - Stormers v Cheetahs, Cape Town
Round 19
(New Zealand/South African teams only)
July 5 - Crusaders v Chiefs, Christchurch
July 6 - Hurricanes v Highlanders, Venue TBC
July 6 - Cheetahs v Blues, Bloemfontein
July 6 - Kings v Stormers, Port Elizabeth
July 6 - Bulls v Sharks, Pretoria
Round 20
July 12 - Crusaders v Hurricanes, Christchurch
July 12 - Rebels v Highlanders, Melbourne
July 13 - Blues v Chiefs, Venue TBC
July 13 - Waratahs v Reds, Sydney
July 13 - Force v Brumbies, Perth
July 13 - Sharks v Kings, Durban
July 13 - Stormers v Bulls, Cape Town
Cheetahs - bye
Qualifiers
July 19/20
Semi-finals
July 26/27
Final
August 3
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