The 2021 Super Rugby AU season will retain the same format used this year, after Rugby Australia today revealed a draw with ten rounds plus two weeks of finals.
The season will commence on Friday, February 19 with a clash between the Red and Waratahs before the Force host the defending champions, the Brumbies, later that night.
After Nine Entertainment secured the broadcast rights on Monday, the Reds versus Waratahs will be the first-ever Super Rugby match shown live on free-to-air TV in Australia. After Round 1, Nine will show a game each Saturday night for the remainder of the regular season, plus both finals.
Stan will exclusively show the rest of the competition under their Stan Sport umbrella, and all matches shown on Nine will also be available ad-free on the streaming platform.
The finals series will start on May 1 with the second- and third-placed teams facing off for the right to play the minor premiers in the final a week later.
Kick-off times for all matches are still to be confirmed.
“Super Rugby AU was terrific in 2020 and will get better next year as this next crop of Australian rugby stars continue to develop, and they are complemented by some genuinely talented international players who have since arrived on our shores,” Rugby AU interim CEO Rob Clarke said.
“The 2021 season promises to be a great one for Australians fans with every game in primetime and with the added support of our new partners, Stan and Nine.”
With the competition finishing in early May, there is plenty of time remaining on the calendar for a trans-Tasman series at the end of the season between the best sides in the AU and Aotearoa tournaments. Rugby AU and their New Zealand counterparts are working on such a series, however an official announcement on that front is yet to be made.
Round 1
Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs, Friday 19 February, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Western Force v Brumbies, Friday 19 February, HBF Park, Perth
Round 2
Queensland Reds v Melbourne Rebels, Friday 26 February, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Brumbies v NSW Waratahs, Saturday 27 February, GIO Stadium, Canberra
Round 3
NSW Waratahs v Western Force, Friday 5 March, Venue TBC
Melbourne Rebels v Brumbies, Saturday 6 March, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Round 4
Western Force v Melbourne Rebels, Friday 12 March, HBF Park, Perth
Brumbies v Queensland Reds, Saturday 13 March, GIO Stadium, Canberra
Round 5
Melbourne Rebels v NSW Waratahs, Friday 19 March, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Queensland Reds v Western Force, Saturday 20 March, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Round 6
Brumbies v Western Force, Friday 26 March, GIO Stadium, Canberra
NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds, Saturday 27 March, Venue TBC
Round 7
NSW Waratahs v Brumbies, Friday 2 April, Venue TBC
Melbourne Rebels v Queensland Reds, Saturday 3 April, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Round 8
Melbourne Rebels v Western Force, Friday 9 April, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Queensland Reds v Brumbies, Saturday 10 April, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Round 9
Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels, Friday 16 April, GIO Stadium, Canberra
Western Force v NSW Waratahs, Saturday 17 April, HBF Park, Perth
Round 10
Western Force v Queensland Reds, Friday 23 April, HBF Park, Perth
NSW Waratahs v Melbourne Rebels, Saturday 24 April, Venue TBC
Qualifying final
Saturday 1 May
Final
Saturday 8 May
TJ
Guest
Agree completely. Would have loved a 6th team. Even if they were a bit underdone next year. The force were too this year. I'd even be up for a Schute Shield All-stars. Best Schute Shield Players not playing super rugby. Team based out of Sydney (somewhere leafy so fans turn up). Obviously just be for the Super AU comp and not for any trans-tasman. Give more kids a taste Super AU action.
ScottD
Roar Guru
10 rounds with no team guaranteed more than 4 home games? What sort of BS is that?
Ex force fan
Guest
So Paul make the argument of why you think the Tah's draw or Brumbies draw is better than the Rebels or Force......it is not.
Ex force fan
Guest
Animal farm, some franchise are just far more equal than others...Poor form from RA.
Ex force fan
Guest
It is as if the draw was manipulated to achieve an outcome which is clearly not an equitable draw that will give the competition integrity. Maybe it was to maximize viewers, limiting travelling costs - or maybe just to give the Tahs and Brumbies a leg up - not that they need it. It was the same for the 2020 covid-cup, the draw obviously favours the Tahs and Brumbies and do no favours to the Force and Rebels. In 2020 the latter two also didn't played any home games that just made the whole situation ridiculously unfair.
Ex force fan
Guest
Can't wait to see the boys play. We will have to win against the odds as usual. The Force will always have the worst traveling schedule as we are the further away and if any team needs to get a benefit from a draw it should be the team that travel the most. However the teams that is centrally located and travel the least gets the best draw - and this happens year after year. Chance? No way! It is deliberate and has been like this since the Force joined in 2006.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Like Pocock!!
Rhys
Roar Rookie
FRom what I read it'll be crossover next year after our respective competitions are played. But, in 2022, they hopefully will have a full ten team competition (5 Aus 5 nz) and the future expansion could include the pasifika team but that all yet to be decided and depends on border restrictions and covid and all that.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Fair enough
GoldenEye
Roar Rookie
Hooper's making up his cash shortfall from this year in Japan for 2021
Tom
Guest
Maybe have two divisions. Best four bottom six. As the mitre ten cup was way better with all the super players back. And few of the outcast Aussie players have played mitre ten last few years. Couple have comeback and made Wallabys when they weren't wanted at all by NSW.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Not a bad backline Train
Mike
Roar Rookie
"Japan in would be great for the bottom line too." Absolutely!!! It would also give more chance of selling TV rights elsewhere in Asia.
Mike
Roar Rookie
The previous Roar article didn't mention a trans-tasman comp being included in the deal, only domestic super (including finals), Wallaby Tests and Tri-Nations. That would make sense because Nine can't negotiate with just the ARU for a TT comp - NZRU would have to be part of the deal too. So hopefully that means that TV rights to a trans-tasman comp will be more money.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Fair enough... gotta say, I'm a little over May by the way. Although... April is somewhat cute :thumbup: :silly:
Mike
Roar Rookie
Apparently Kazakhstan uses the Tenge. Roubles are so passe. Hopefully any TV deal will be done in hard currency like US dollars or bitcoin.
Mike
Roar Rookie
So if I understand this correctly, Nine has not yet bought the rights to a TransTasman comp, so RNZ and RA can also sell those to the best bidder? And the overseas TV rights to this comp have not yet been sold, so even if it only gets sold to Kazakhstan, that's still extra roubles in the bank for RA?
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Hanigan is gone - Japan I think
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
OOP - thank you - you ae being polite re the forwards "might struggle" - they will struggle. While not a big fan they may use Newsome at 13
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Jeez! James, is this another million-dollar holiday?