New franchise Melbourne Rebels will start their first Super rugby campaign at home to the Waratahs in the opening week of the expanded 2011 competition.
In a derby opening day on February 18, the new 15-team competition brings together the Hurricanes and the Highlanders in New Zealand and the Rebels and Waratahs in Melbourne.
The following day, the Brumbies host the Chiefs in the only international fixture of the round, while old New Zealand rivals the Blues and Crusaders clash, while in South Africa the Sharks host the Cheetahs and the defending champion Bulls start away to the Lions.
The first round finishes with a second Australia derby, with the Reds taking on the Force.
The revamped competition has been split into three conferences, one in each of the three nations.
Each of the three conference winners advances to the expanded six-team finals.
The three highest placed scorers in the competition outside the conference winners will also advance to the finals, making it possible for one country to have four finalists.
The amount of local derbies in Australia has increased from six to 20.
However, unlike previous seasons not every team will play the other as all sides will play just four of the five teams in the other two conferences.
In the finals, the two conference winners with the most points will have the first week off, while the other conference winner will play the sixth-placed side in a sudden death qualifier while fourth and fifth will also meet in an elimination game.
SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters outlined the history behind Super rugby and how it had contributed to the national sporting landscapes of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa:
“For the first time since its inception in 1996, Super Rugby will take on a whole new look in 2011,” said Peters.
“The fifteen teams will take part in a three-conference format which will see all of the teams in each conference tackle each other home and away; supplemented with inter-conference games and culminating in a new, six-team finals series.
“We believe this competition will deliver even more of what our fans in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are telling us that they love about Super Rugby including more local derbies, intense cross-conference competition and the expanded final series with the guarantee of a home final for each of the conference winners.”
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