Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby sides will face off against each other once again in 2021 after Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby confirmed a trans-Tasman tournament next year.
The five-round competition will see each Australian franchise play all five New Zealand teams, and vice versa, before the final between the top two teams – regardless of which nation they’re based in – on June 19.
While specific dates for each of the fixtures, aside from the final, are yet to be confirmed, Round 1 will begin on May 14, just a week after the Super Rugby AU and Aotearoa finals.
There will also be a so-called “Super Round” on the 28th and 29th, where all five matches will be played at the same venue. The location for that weekend is yet to be confirmed.
The broadcast arrangements for Australian viewers is the same as the Super Rugby AU season: one match per round shown on free-to-air TV on the Nine Network, and the entire competition streamed live and on-demand on subscription streaming platform Stan.
Rugby AU interim CEO Rob Clarke and his New Zealand Rugby counterpart Mark Robinson struck a friendly, congratulatory tone in a year when relations between the two governing bodies became strained.
“This will generate enormous excitement across both countries with some of the best players in the world set to challenge each other after the conclusion of Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Aotearoa,” Clarke said.
“It will be a really exciting new product for our 2021 broadcast partners, Stan and Nine, and I know fans right around the world will be glued to their screens and devices to watch it all.
“The Super Round is also a great initiative with one lucky city to host all 10 teams on one weekend in a Super Rugby extravaganza.
“I’d like to thank Mark Robinson and his team at New Zealand Rugby for working so closely with us.”
“Super Rugby Trans-Tasman is a great result for fans on both sides of the Tasman and is testament to the strength of the relationship between New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia,” said Robinson.
“It’s been a testing time for rugby in both countries, but also a chance to reimagine the game in our part of the world for 2021. The result is an exciting and innovative new competition, which will benefit fans, players, broadcasters and Super clubs.
“We all know how special the rivalry between New Zealand and Australia is when it comes to sport and this tournament will add another exciting chapter.”
Round 1
14-15 May
Crusaders v Brumbies
Western Force v Chiefs
Melbourne Rebels v Blues
Highlanders v Queensland Reds
NSW Waratahs v Hurricanes
Round 2
21-22 May
Chiefs v Brumbies
Western Force v Highlanders
Hurricanes v Melbourne Rebels
Queensland Reds v Crusaders
Blues v NSW Waratahs
Round 3
28-29 May
Brumbies v Blues
Hurricanes v Western Force
Melbourne Rebels v Highlanders
Queensland Reds v Chiefs
NSW Waratahs v Crusaders
Round 4
4-5 June
Brumbies v Hurricanes
Crusaders v Western Force
Chiefs v Melbourne Rebels
Queensland Reds v Blues
Highlanders v NSW Waratahs
Round 5
11-12 June
Brumbies v Highlanders
Blues v Western Force
Melbourne Rebels v Crusaders
Hurricanes v Queensland Reds
NSW Waratahs v Chiefs
Final
Saturday 19 June
Micko
Roar Rookie
Damn! I was actually keen to have a look at it.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
I'd think so, Micko. GRR was a Forrest initiative, not a RA one.
jeznez
Roar Guru
EFF. Saw some more good news for your guys Michael McDonald has signed back up with the Force. He’s a quality young player so am sorry to see the Tahs lose him. But very happy for him and the Force to see him back at home. Wish him the best of luck and hope he gets to take the pitch with his childhood hero Rob Kearney.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Shh Fin, don't point out the obvious, some like to feel they getting hard done by :silly:
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Everyone who actually listened to what was said, and didn't read Newspaper headlines knows that wasn't ever said. Same as a couple of months ago when supposedly McLennan and Clarke gave NZR until Sept 4th to agree to their proposal, that I doubt was ever said, but u=it makes for good headlines and sucks in the gullible.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Nah, they just get to travel further every second year. :laughing:
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@PaulD Have nothing for or against the Force - it's just an observation of the most likely outcome :laughing:
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
interesting as it is just after the super rugby games in NZ and Australia
Rob9
Roar Guru
I guess the A team is the B team now??
Big Dave
Roar Rookie
I saw a win and a draw that should have been a win. Sounds alright to me.
Micko
Roar Rookie
What?
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes, NZR aren't as cocky and obnoxious as they were a few months back are they?
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Most of not all -- nope, I'd guess.
AndyS
Guest
Which were all already in the deal with values assigned. What I mean is the 125 SR level matches featuring the Test players from four nations. Twenty SRao matches are nice, but those missing 100 odd games would leave a big gap in the schedule and value of the deal. And with such a big deal, a bigger hole for NZR than for anyone.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Content for SANZAAR I guess.
mused6
Roar Rookie
Great news.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Still, NZR would be scrambling to find a huge amount of content You mean apart from the domestic M10, women's, sevens, Heartland and schoolboy competitions?
nroko
Roar Rookie
I wasn't talking about the NZ broadcasting deal. I was referring to the new Aus broadcast deal and what that would mean for Aus in terms of retaining players, building competitiveness, then NZR doesn't need to worry too much about creating their own competition. With regards to the NZ broadcast deal, obviously it has been affected by covid this year. However going forward, assuming TRC continues and test rugby is back then thats what generates the most revenue, thats large part of the the broadcast deal, this is the case for all major rugby nations not just NZ. There will be less Super Rugby content because SA is no longer in it, but that content doesn't generate much revenue for the NZ broadcaster i.e. most NZers don't pay for Sky to watch games in SA at the AM hours of night. What's more attractive for the NZ broadcaster is more of SRA. Currently there is 2 matches per week, they want 3-4 matches per week of the same quality at a friendly timezone. Hence the push for PI teams.
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's a shame for Fiji. :thumbdown:
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
what was reported before was a proposal only; not a decision. Media reports and journos grossly failed to explain that point (and I'm a senior journo myself). I view the NZRU as having conceded to RA's argument, not backflipping. And I think the Kiwis have an eye to South Africa and the Northern Hemisphere where the Fiji-France game has been called off due to covid in the Fiji team (Radradra among others).