1997 Super 12 season

1997 Super 12
1997 Super 12
Countries	Australia ; South Africa ; New Zealand
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and knockout
Champions	Auckland Blues (2nd title)
Matches played	69
Top point scorer(s)	Gavin Lawless (170); (Sharks)
Top try scorer(s)	Joe Roff (16); (ACT Brumbies)
← 1996 (Previous)	(Next) 1998 →

Last updated July 28, 2024

The 1997 Super 12 season was the second season of the Super 12, contested by rugby union teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from 28 February to 31 May 1997, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the play-off semi-finals, with the first-placed team playing the fourth and the second-placed team playing the third. The winner of each semi-final qualified for the final, which was contested by the Auckland Blues and the ACT Brumbies at Eden Park, Auckland. The Blues won 23–7 to win their second Super 12 title.

While the three Australian and five New Zealand teams remained the same as the 1996 season, the South African teams made changes. Transvaal, after the changes of the political landscape of South Africa, became known as the Gauteng Lions, while Western Province, after not making the top four of the 1996 Currie Cup, were replaced by Free State of Bloemfontein.

Table

	Top four teams advance to playoffs

Pos.	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	BP	Pts
1	Auckland Blues	11	10	1	0	435	283	152	8	50
2	ACT Brumbies	11	8	0	3	406	291	115	9	41
3	Wellington Hurricanes	11	6	0	5	416	314	102	10	34
4	Sharks	11	5	2	4	321	350	−29	6	30
5	Gauteng Lions	11	5	1	5	302	346	−44	6	28
6	Canterbury Crusaders	11	5	1	5	272	235	37	4	26
7	Free State	11	5	0	6	301	327	−26	5	25
8	Northern Transvaal	11	3	3	5	264	342	−78	4	22
9	NSW Waratahs	11	4	0	7	255	296	−41	4	20
10	Queensland Reds	11	4	0	7	263	318	−55	4	20
11	Waikato Chiefs	11	4	0	7	272	295	−23	3	19
12	Otago Highlanders	11	3	0	8	299	409	−110	5	17

Points breakdown:

4 points for a win
2 points for a draw
1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

The playoffs follow a 1 v 4, 2 v 3 system with the highest placed team at home

Regular season

Round 1

	28 February 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	18–23	Waikato Chiefs	The Showgrounds, Palmerston North
		Try: Jarrod Cunningham Tana Umaga Con: Jon Preston Pen: Jon Preston (2)	Scoreboard^[1]	Try: Eric Rush Glen Osborne Walter Little Con: Matthew Cooper Pen: Matthew Cooper (2)	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	1 March 1997	Queensland Reds	19–24	ACT Brumbies	Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
		Try: Tim Horan (2) Barry Lea Con: John Eales (2)	Scoreboard^[2]	Try: Adam Magro Pat Howard Stephen Larkham Con: David Knox (3) Pen: David Knox	Attendance: 15,100 Referee: Peter Marshall (Australia)

	1 March 1997	Northern Transvaal	40–40	Auckland Blues	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Adriaan Richter (3) Henry Tromp Con: Theo Van Rensburg (4) Pen: Theo Van Rensburg (4)	Scoreboard^[3]	Try: Brian Lima (2) Carlos Spencer (2) Adrian Cashmore Con: Adrian Cashmore (3) Pen: Adrian Cashmore (3)	Attendance: 20,000 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

	2 March 1997	Free State	20–24	Gauteng Lions	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Try: André Venter Stephen Brink Con: MJ Smith Pen: MJ Smith	Scoreboard^[4]	Try: Gavin Johnson Hannes Strydom Con: Gavin Johnson Pen: Gavin Johnson Johan Roux (3)

Round 2

	7 March 1997	Free State	15–24	Auckland Blues	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Pen: Jannie de Beer	Scoreboard^[5]	Try: Joeli Vidiri Ofisa Tonu'u Con: Adrian Cashmore Pen: Adrian Cashmore (4)	Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

	7 March 1997	Canterbury Crusaders	19–17	Wellington Hurricanes	Lancaster Park, Christchurch
		Try: James Kerr Con: Daryl Lilley Pen: Daryl Lilley (4)	Scoreboard^[6]	Try: Alama Ieremia Jon Preston Con: Jon Preston (2) Pen: Jon Preston	Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

	8 March 1997	NSW Waratahs	26–33	Waikato Chiefs	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Matt Burke Richard Harry Con: Matt Burke (2) Pen: Matt Burke (4)	Scoreboard^[7]	Try: Eric Rush (2) Errol Brain Con: Matthew Cooper (3) Pen: Matthew Cooper (4)	Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

	8 March 1997	Sharks	75–43	Otago Highlanders	Kings Park Stadium, Durban
		Try: Gavin Lawless (4) Jozuzi Joubert (2) Henry Honiball Jeremy Thomson John Allan Con: Gavin Lawless (9) Pen: Gavin Lawless (4)	Scoreboard^[8]	Try: Jeff Wilson Kees Meeuws Lio Falaniko Manassa Bari Romi Ropati Tony Brown Con: Tony Brown (5) Pen: Tony Brown	Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

	8 March 1997	Northern Transvaal	14–3	Queensland Reds	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Joost Van der Westhuizen (2) Con: Theo Van Rensburg (2)	Scoreboard^[9]	Pen: John Eales	Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa)

	9 March 1997	Gauteng Lions	44–36	ACT Brumbies	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Hennie le Roux Ian McDonald Japie Mulder Joe Gillingham Johan Roux Con: Gavin Johnson (5) Pen: Gavin Johnson (3)	Scoreboard^[10]	Try: Stephen Larkham (2) George Gregan Joe Roff Pat Howard Con: David Knox (4) Pen: David Knox	Attendance: 12,000

Round 3

	14 March 1997	Gauteng Lions	47–29	Otago Highlanders	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Andre Vos Gavin Johnson (2) Jannie van der Walt Kobus Wiese Con: Gavin Johnson (5) Pen: Gavin Johnson (4)		Try: Jeff Wilson Manassa Bari Romi Ropati Taine Randell Con: Tony Brown (3) Pen: Tony Brown	Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

	14 March 1997	NSW Waratahs	25–8	Canterbury Crusaders	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Daniel Manu (2) Pen: Matt Burke (5)		Try: Daryl Lilley Pen: Daryl Lilley	Attendance: 22,000

	15 March 1997	Free State	35–24	Queensland Reds	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Try: Charl van Rensburg Jan-Harm van Wyk Werner Swanepoel Con: Jannie de Beer Pen: Jannie de Beer (5) Drop: Jannie de Beer		Try: Dan Crowley Jason Little Shane Drahm Con: John Eales (3) Drop: Shane Drahm	Referee: Carl Spannenberg (South Africa)

	15 March 1997	Waikato Chiefs	16–26	Auckland Blues	North Harbour Stadium, Albany
		Try: Scott McLeod Con: Bruce Reihana Pen: Bruce Reihana (2) Matt Cooper		Try: Joeli Vidiri Zinzan Brooke Penalty try Con: Carlos Spencer Pen: Carlos Spencer (2) Drop: Carlos Spencer	Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

	16 March 1997	Sharks	35–26	ACT Brumbies	ABSA Stadium, Durban
		Try: Joos Joubert (3) Walter Minnaar Con: Gavin Lawless (3) Pen: Gavin Lawless (3)		Try: Joe Roff John Langford Marco Caputo Stephen Larkham Con: Joe Roff (3)	Referee: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

	16 March 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	64–32	Northern Transvaal	Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
		Try: Finau Maka Mark Allen Martin Leslie (2) Norm Hewitt Tana Umaga (3) Con: Jarrod Cunningham Jon Preston (5) Pen: Jon Preston (4)		Try: Penalty try FA Meiring Johan Otto Schutte Bekker Con: Theo van Rensburg (3) Pen: Theo van Rensburg (2)	Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

Round 4

	22 March 1997	Otago Highlanders	27–7	Northern Transvaal	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Jeff Wilson Pailate Fili Con: Simon Culhane Pen: Simon Culhane (5)		Try: Ruben Kruger Con: Dirkie Nortje	Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

	22 March 1997	Gauteng Lions	36–27	NSW Waratahs	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Gavin Johnson Johan Roux Kobus Wiese Con: Gavin Johnson (3) Pen: Gavin Johnson (5)		Try: Alistair Murdoch Fili Finau Stuart Pinkerton Con: Matt Burke (3) Pen: Matt Burke (2)	Attendance: 22,636 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

	22 March 1997	Waikato Chiefs	31–16	Queensland Reds	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
		Try: Bruce Reihana Dion Matthews Matt Cooper Con: Matt Cooper (2) Pen: Matt Cooper (4)		Try: Ben Tune Con: John Eales Pen: John Eales (3)	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	22 March 1997	ACT Brumbies	49–29	Canterbury Crusaders	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
		Try: George Gregan Ipolito Fenukitau (3) John Langford Mitch Hardy Con: David Knox (2) Pen: David Knox (4) Drop: David Knox		Try: James Kerr Paula Bale Scott Robertson Tabai Matson (2) Con: Leon MacDonald (2)

	22 March 1997	Free State	45–40	Sharks	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Try: Chris Badenhorst Jaco Coetzee Wybrand Els Con: Jannie de Beer (2) MJ Smith Pen: Hendrik Jordaan Kruger MJ Smith (7)		Try: Dirkie Strydom Gary Teichmann John Allan Ollie Le Roux Wayne Fyvie Con: Gavin Lawless (3) Pen: Gavin Lawless (3)	Referee: Andy Turner

Round 5

	28 March 1997	ACT Brumbies	38–19	Northern Transvaal	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
		Try: Joe Roff (3) Mitch Hardy Troy Coker Con: David Knox (2) Pen: David Knox (3)		Try: Jacques Olivier Jannie Brooks Kosie Jansen van Vuuren Con: Theo van Rensburg	Attendance: 12,032 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

	29 March 1997	Canterbury Crusaders	24–15	Waikato Chiefs	Fraser Park, Timaru
		Try: Daryl Gibson Kevin Nepia Con: Andrew Mehrtens Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (3) Drop: Andrew Mehrtens		Try: Paul Mitchell Rhys Duggan Con: Matt Cooper Pen: Matt Cooper	Attendance: 8,500 Referee: Glen Wahlstrom (New Zealand)

	29 March 1997	Gauteng Lions	35–37	Wellington Hurricanes	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Dawie du Toit Japie Mulder Joe Gillingham Piet Krause Con: Gavin Johnson (3) Pen: Gavin Johnson (3)		Try: Christian Cullen (2) Jason O'Halloran Con: Jon Preston (2) Pen: Jon Preston (6)	Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

	29 March 1997	Sharks	28–23	NSW Waratahs	ABSA Stadium, Durban
		Try: Kevin Putt Con: Gavin Lawless Pen: Gavin Lawless (7)		Try: David Campese Richard Tombs Con: Matt Burke (2) Pen: Matt Burke (3)	Attendance: 39,300 Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

	30 March 1997	Otago Highlanders	18–49	Free State	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Pen: Simon Culhane (6)		Try: Chris Badenhorst (2) Naka Drotské (2) Os du Randt Rassie Erasmus Wybrand Els Con: Jannie de Beer (7)	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	31 March 1997	Auckland Blues	49–26	Queensland Reds	Eden Park, Auckland
		Try: Andrew Blowers (2) Brian Lima (2) Carlos Spencer Joeli Vidiri Con: Adrian Cashmore (4) Carlos Spencer Pen: Adrian Cashmore (3)		Try: Jason Little Matthew Pini Con: John Eales (2) Pen: John Eales (4)	Attendance: 33,000 Referee: Paddy O'Brien (South Africa)

Round 6

	4 April 1997	Sharks	29–24	Wellington Hurricanes	ABSA Stadium, Durban
		Try: Penalty try Geoff Appleford Con: Gavin Lawless (2) Pen: Gavin Lawless (5)		Try: Norm Hewitt Stephen Bachop Tana Umaga Con: Jon Preston (3) Pen: Jon Preston	Attendance: 40,303 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

	4 April 1997	ACT Brumbies	50–23	Free State	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
		Try: Brett Robinson James Holbeck Joe Roff (2) Mitch Hardy Stephen Larkham Con: David Knox (4) Pen: David Knox (4)		Try: Penalty try Naka Drotské Stephen Brink Con: Jannie de Beer Pen: Jannie de Beer (2)	Attendance: 14,196 Referee: Wayne Erickson (Australia)

	4 April 1997	Auckland Blues	29–28	Canterbury Crusaders	Growers Stadium, Pukekohe
		Try: Joeli Vidiri Robin Brooke Con: Adrian Cashmore (2) Pen: Adrian Cashmore (5)		Try: Daryl Gibson Daryl Lilley Kevin Nepia Con: Andrew Mehrtens (2) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (3)	Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

	5 April 1997	Queensland Reds	37–24	Otago Highlanders	Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
		Try: Ben Tune Elton Flatley Jason Little Matt Cockbain Con: John Eales (4) Pen: John Eales (3)		Try: Penalty try Jeff Wilson Matt Carrington Con: Simon Culhane (3) Pen: Simon Culhane	Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

	6 April 1997	NSW Waratahs	43–29	Northern Transvaal	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Fili Finau Graeme Bond Matt Burke (3) Con: Matt Burke (3) Pen: Matt Burke (4)		Try: André Snyman (2) Graeme Bouwer Henry Tromp Kosie Alberts Con: Graeme Bouwer Kosie Alberts	Attendance: 26,245 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

Round 7

	11 April 1997	Waikato Chiefs	15–33	Sharks	North Harbour Stadium, Albany
		Try: Glen Osborne Glenn Taylor Con: Blair Feeney Pen: Blair Feeney		Try: Adrian Garvey (2) Cabous van der Westhuisen Con: Gavin Lawless (3) Pen: Gavin Lawless (4)	Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

	12 April 1997	Queensland Reds	29–47	Wellington Hurricanes	Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
		Try: Tim Horan Willie Carne Con: John Eales (2) Pen: John Eales (5)		Try: Alex Telea (2) Jason O'Halloran Jon Preston Stephen Bachop Tana Umaga Con: Jon Preston (4) Pen: Jon Preston (3)	Attendance: 15,196 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

	12 April 1997	Gauteng Lions	16–16	Northern Transvaal	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Hennie le Roux Con: Johan Roux Pen: Gavin Johnson Johan Roux (2)		Try: Graeme Bouwer Jacques Olivier Pen: Casper Steyn Graeme Bouwer	Attendance: 34,370 Referee: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

	12 April 1997	Otago Highlanders	37–29	Canterbury Crusaders	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Anton Oliver Manassa Bari (2) Con: Tony Brown (2) Pen: Tony Brown (5) Drop: Tony Brown		Try: Daryl Lilley Leon MacDonald Con: Andrew Mehrtens (2) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (5)	Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

	12 April 1997	NSW Waratahs	36–11	Free State	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Alistair Murdoch David Campese Michael Brial Richard Tombs Sam Payne Con: Matt Burke (4) Pen: Matt Burke		Try: Stephen Brink Pen: MJ Smith (2)	Attendance: 22,016 Referee: Mick Keogh (Australia)

	12 April 1997	Auckland Blues	41–29	ACT Brumbies	Growers Stadium, Pukekohe
		Try: Adrian Cashmore Brian Lima Eroni Clarke (2) Lee Stensness Leo Lafaiali'i Con: Adrian Cashmore (3) Carlos Spencer Pen: Adrian Cashmore		Try: James Holbeck Joe Roff Stephen Larkham Troy Coker Con: David Knox Joe Roff Stephen Larkham Pen: David Knox	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

Round 8

	18 April 1997	Otago Highlanders	9–15	ACT Brumbies	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Pen: Tony Brown (3)		Try: George Gregan Owen Finegan Con: David Knox Pen: David Knox	Referee: Glenn Wahlstrom (New Zealand)

	19 April 1997	Auckland Blues	63–22	Gauteng Lions	Eden Park, Auckland
		Try: Carlos Spencer Dylan Mika Jeremy Stanley Joeli Vidiri Michael Jones Ofisa Tonu'u (2) Leo Lafaiali'i Zinzan Brooke (2) Con: Carlos Spencer (5) Pen: Carlos Spencer		Try: Japie Mulder Johan Roux Warren Brosnihan Con: Johan Roux (2) Pen: Johan Roux	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	19 April 1997	Northern Transvaal	34–27	Waikato Chiefs	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Graeme Bouwer Jacques Olivier (2) Nicky van der Walt Con: Casper Steyn (4) Pen: Casper Steyn (2)		Try: Dean Anglesey Glen Osborne Con: Matt Cooper Pen: Matt Cooper (5)	Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa)

	19 April 1997	Canterbury Crusaders	26–26	Sharks	Jade Stadium, Christchurch
		Try: Penalty try Mark Mayerhofler Con: Andrew Mehrtens (2) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (4)		Try: Henry Honiball Mark Andrews Pieter Muller Wikus van Heerden Con: Henry Honiball (3)	Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

	19 April 1997	NSW Waratahs	16–26	Queensland Reds	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Penalty try Con: Matt Burke Pen: Matt Burke (3)		Try: Ben Tune Damien Smith Mark Connors Con: John Eales Pen: John Eales (3)	Attendance: 15,196 Referee: Wayne Erickson (New Zealand)

	20 April 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	59–30	Free State	Athletic Park, Wellington
		Try: Penalty try Christian Cullen (3) Jason O'Halloran Mark Cooksley Martin Leslie Tana Umaga Con: Jarrod Cunningham Jon Preston (4) Pen: Jon Preston (3)		Try: Charl van Rensburg Os du Randt Stephen Brink Con: Jannie de Beer (3) Pen: Jannie de Beer (3)	Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

Round 9

	25 April 1997	Canterbury Crusaders	23–0	Gauteng Lions	Jade Stadium, Christchurch
		Try: Afato So'oalo Andrew Mehrtens Todd Blackadder Con: Andrew Mehrtens Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (2)			Referee: Glenn Wahlstrom (New Zealand)

	26 April 1997	ACT Brumbies	56–9	NSW Waratahs	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
		Try: David Knox George Gregan Joe Roff (3) Mitch Hardy (2) Patricio Noriega Con: David Knox (5) Pen: David Knox (2)		Pen: Matt Burke (3)	Attendance: 18,753 Referee: Andrew Cole (New Zealand)

	26 April 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	60–34	Otago Highlanders	Athletic Park, Wellington
		Try: Alex Telea (2) Christian Cullen Filo Tiatia Jason O'Halloran (2) Tana Umaga (3) Con: Christian Cullen (6) Pen: Christian Cullen		Try: Ace Tiatia Brett McCormack Josh Kronfeld Kupu Vanisi Matt Carrington Con: Tony Brown (3) Pen: Tony Brown	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	26 April 1997	Free State	27–13	Waikato Chiefs	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Try: Hendrik Jordaan Kruger Jan-Harm van Wyk Rassie Erasmus Wybrand Els Con: MJ Smith (2) Pen: MJ Smith		Try: Michael Collins Con: Matt Cooper Pen: Matt Cooper (2)	Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

	27 April 1997	Auckland Blues	39–17	Sharks	Eden Park, Auckland
		Try: Penalty try Carlos Spencer Joeli Vidiri Ofisa Tonu'u Sean Fitzpatrick Con: Carlos Spencer (4) Pen: Carlos Spencer (2)		Try: John Slade Kevin Putt Con: Gavin Lawless (2) Pen: Gavin Lawless	Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

Round 10

	2 May 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	19–3	NSW Waratahs	McLean Park, Napier
		Try: Christian Cullen Jason O'Halloran Martin Leslie Con: Christian Cullen (2)		Pen: Matt Burke	Referee: Glenn Wahlstrom (New Zealand)

	3 May 1997	Northern Transvaal	23–22	Canterbury Crusaders	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Boeta Wessels Johan Schutte Con: Casper Steyn (2) Pen: Casper Steyn (3)		Try: Afato So'oalo (2) Steve Surridge Con: Daryl Lilley (2) Pen: Andrew Mehrtens	Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

	3 May 1997	Otago Highlanders	28–45	Auckland Blues	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Anton Oliver Josh Kronfeld Romi Ropati Taine Randall Con: TOny Brown Pen: Brendan Laney Tony Brown		Try: Jeremy Stanley (2) Joeli Vidiri Lee Stensness Ofisa Tonu'u Robin Brooke (2) Con: Adrian Cashmore Carlos Spencer (4)	Attendance: 11,500 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

	3 May 1997	Queensland Reds	40–3	Sharks	Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
		Try: Penalty try Ben Tune David Wilson Glen Panoho Jason Little John Eales Con: John Eales (5)		Pen: Gavin Lawless	Attendance: 14,826 Referee: Wayne Erickson (Australia)

	3 May 1997	Waikato Chiefs	47–9	Gauteng Lions	Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
		Try: Caleb Ralph (2) Deon Muir Scott McLeod Con: Matt Cooper (5) Pen: Matt Cooper (4)		Pen: Gavin Johnson (3)	Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

Round 11

	9 May 1997	Otago Highlanders	16–27	NSW Waratahs	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Lio Falaniko Con: Simon Culhane Pen: Simon Culhane (3)		Try: Alistair Murdoch Jason Madz Michael Brial Con: Matt Burke (3) Pen: Matt Burke (2)	Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

	9 May 1997	ACT Brumbies	48–34	Waikato Chiefs	Canberra Stadium, Canberra
		Try: George Gregan Joe Roff (2) Mitch Hardy Owen Finegan Stephen Larkham Troy Coker Con: David Knox (5) Pen: David Knox		Try: Aaron Hopa Eric Rush (3) Con: Ian Foster (4) Pen: Matt Cooper (2)	Attendance: 13,742 Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

	10 May 1997	Free State	11–16	Canterbury Crusaders	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
		Try: Werner Swanepoel Pen: MJ Smith (2)		Try: Daryl Lilley Con: Daryl Lilley Pen: Daryl Lilley (3)	Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa)

	10 May 1997	Queensland Reds	40–27	Gauteng Lions	Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
		Try: Damien Smith Daniel Herbert Jason Little Scott Webster Tim Horan Con: John Eales (3) Pen: John Eales (3)		Try: Chris Rossouw (2) Jopie Adlam Warren Brosnihan Con: Dawie du Toit Edrich Lubbe Pen: Edrich Lubbe	Attendance: 13,846 Referee: Wayne Erickson (Australia)

	10 May 1997	Auckland Blues	45–42	Wellington Hurricanes	Eden Park, Auckland
		Try: Carlos Spencer Craig Dowd Joeli Vidiri Michael Jones Zinzan Brooke Con: Adrian Cashmore (3) Pen: Adrian Cashmore Carlos Spencer (2)		Try: Finau Maka Jarrod Cunningham Bull Allen Tana Umaga (2) Con: Jon Preston (4) Pen: Jon Preston (3)	Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

	11 May 1997	Sharks	27–27	Northern Transvaal	ABSA Stadium, Durban
		Try: Adrian Garvey Gavin Lawless (2) John Allan Con: Gavin Lawless (2) Pen: Gavin Lawless		Try: André Snyman Boeta Wessels Johan Schutte Con: Casper Steyn (3) Pen: Casper Steyn (2)	Attendance: 36,270 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

Round 12

	16 May 1997	Waikato Chiefs	18–34	Otago Highlanders	Owen Delany Park, Taupō
		Try: Caleb Ralph Glenn Taylor Con: Blair Feeney Pen: Ian Foster (2)		Try: Doug Howlett (3) Con: Simon Culhane (2) Pen: Simon Culhane (4) Tony Brown	Attendance: 10,000^[11] Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

	16 May 1997	Northern Transvaal	23–35	Free State	Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
		Try: Kobus Engelbrecht Matthys Bekker Nicky van der Walt Con: Casper Steyn Pen: Casper Steyn (2)		Try: Andre Venter Brendan Venter Chris Badenhorst (2) Helgard Müller Con: Jannie de Beer (5)	Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

	17 May 1997	NSW Waratahs	20–34	Auckland Blues	Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
		Try: Alistair Murdoch (2) Con: Matt Burke (2) Pen: Matt Burke (2)		Try: Brian Lima (2) Dylan Mika Zinzan Brooke Con: Adrian Cashmore (4) Pen: Adrian Cashmore (2)	Attendance: 30,793 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

	17 May 1997	Canterbury Crusaders	48–3	Queensland Reds	Jade Stadium, Christchurch
		Try: Daryl Gibson Justin Marshall Mark Hammett Mark Mayerhofler (2) Scott Robertson Con: Andrew Mehrtens (2) Daryl Lilley Pen: Andrew Mehrtens (3) Drop: Andrew Mehrtens		Pen: John Eales	Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

	17 May 1997	Gauteng Lions	42–8	Sharks	Ellis Park, Johannesburg
		Try: Dawie du Toit (2) Jannie van der Walt Joe Gillingham Jopie Adlam Con: Edrich Lubbe (4) Pen: Edrich Lubbe (3)		Try: Cabous van der Westhuizen Pen: Gavin Lawless	Attendance: 36,260 Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

	18 May 1997	Wellington Hurricanes	29–35	ACT Brumbies	Athletic Park, Wellington
		Try: Christian Cullen (2) Filo Tiatia Con: Jon Preston Pen: Jon Preston (4)		Try: George Gregan Joe Roff Mitch Hardy (2) Troy Coker Con: David Knox (2) Pen: David Knox (2)	Attendance: 30,400 Referee: Colin Hawke (New Zealand)

Finals

Semi finals

24 May 1997

Auckland Blues	55–36	Sharks
Try: Adrian Cashmore Carlos Spencer Eroni Clarke Joeli Vidiri Mark Carter Zinzan Brooke Con: Adrian Cashmore (6) Pen: Adrian Cashmore		Try: Errol Stewart Henry Honiball Joos Joubert Lawrence Payne Con: Henry Honiball (3)

Eden Park, Auckland
Referee: Wayne Erickson (Australia)

24 May 1997

ACT Brumbies	33–20	Wellington Hurricanes
Try: George Gregan James Holbeck Joe Roff Mitch Hardy Con: David Knox Pen: David Knox (2)		Try: Christian Cullen (2) Con: Jon Preston (2) Pen: Jon Preston (2)

Canberra Stadium, Canberra
Attendance: 23,731
Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

Grand final

31 May 1997

Auckland Blues	23–7	ACT Brumbies
Try: Dowd Jones Con: Cashmore (2) Pen: Cashmore (3)		Try: Roff Con: Roff

Eden Park, Auckland
Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)


	15	Adrian Cashmore
	14	Brian Lima
	13	Eroni Clarke
	12	Lee Stensness
	11	Joeli Vidiri
	10	Carlos Spencer
	9	Ofisa Tonu'u
	8	Zinzan Brooke (c)
	7	Michael Jones
	6	Mark Carter
	5	Robin Brooke
	4	Leo Lafaiali'i
	3	Craig Dowd
	2	Sean Fitzpatrick
	1	Olo Brown
Replacements:
	16	Jeremy Stanley
	17	Michael Scott
	18	Dylan Mika
	19	Charles Riechelmann
	20	Paul Thomson
	21	Andrew Roose
Coach:
Graham Henry


	15	Stephen Larkham
	14	Mitch Hardy
	13	James Holbeck
	12	Pat Howard
	11	Joe Roff
	10	David Knox
	9	George Gregan
	8	Troy Coker
	7	Brett Robinson (c)
	6	Owen Finegan
	5	John Langford
	4	David Giffin
	3	Patricio Noriega
	2	Marco Caputo
	1	Ewen McKenzie
Replacements:
	16	Rod Kafer
	17	Geoff Logan
	18	Justin Harrison
	19	Ipolito Fenukitau
	20	Dean Zammit
	21	Timote Tavalea
Coach:
Rod McQueen

Notes and references

↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wellington Hurricanes 18–23 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 28 February 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Queensland Reds 19–24 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 40–40 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 20–24 Gauteng Lions". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 15–24 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Canterbury Crusaders 19–17 Wellington Hurricanes". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – New South Wales Waratahs 26–33 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Natal Sharks 75–43 Otago Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 14–3 Queensland Reds". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Gauteng Lions 44–36 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
↑ "Rugby: Chiefs want record crowd to spur them on".

Related Research Articles

Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and 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 the competition to split into three, the reformed competition in 2021 only included teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blues (Super Rugby)</span> NZ rugby union club, based in Auckland

The Blues are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, the Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003 and 2024. Additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022, and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023. They won a Trans Tasman competition in 2021.

The Lions is a South African professional rugby union team based in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province. They competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020, and have competed in the United Rugby Championship since 2021. They are the successor of the teams known as Transvaal (1996), Gauteng Lions (1997) and the Cats (1998–2006).

The 1996 Super 12 season was the inaugural season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1996, with each team playing all the others once. At the end of the regular season, the top four teams entered the playoff semifinals, with the first placed team playing the fourth and the second placed team playing the third. The winner of each semifinal qualified for the final, which was contested between the Auckland Blues and Natal Sharks, with the Blues winning 45–21 to win the first Super 12 title.

The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby. The visiting Bulls won the 2007 Super 14 Final, scoring a try in the 83rd minute and narrowly defeating the Sharks 20–19, thereby becoming the first South African side to win the Super Rugby title in the professional era.

The history of the Highlanders focuses on the rugby union team in the Super Rugby competitions. The team was originally formed as one of five New Zealand franchises for the Super 12 in 1996. The team encompassed the provinces of North Otago, Otago and Southland. The Highlanders placed eighth in their first year with five wins, but slumped to last in the competition in 1997 with only three wins. They improved to qualify for their first semi-final in 1998, and became the first New Zealand team to defeat all four South African franchises in the process. They were defeated by eventual 1998 Champions the Auckland Blues in their semi-final however. Their best ever finish came in 1999 when they won eight matches, and their semi-final to host the 1999 Super 12 Final at Carisbrook, but lost to South Island rivals Crusaders in the match. They qualified for their third consecutive semi-finals in 2000, and this time played the Crusaders in Christchurch, but lost again.

The Southern Kings were a South African professional rugby union team that competed in Super Rugby and Pro14. They were based in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province and played their home matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They were created in 2009, and had their first match against the British & Irish Lions during their 2009 tour. After competing in Super Rugby in 2013, 2016 and 2017, they joined Pro14 prior to the 2017–18 season, along with the Cheetahs.

The 2010 Super 14 season kicked off in February 2010 with pre-season matches held from mid-January. It finished on 29 May. The 2010 season was the fifth and last season of the expanded Super 14 format. The schedule, which covers 3½ months, featured a total of 94 matches, with each team playing one full round-robin against the 13 other teams, two semi-finals and a final. Every team received one bye over the 14 rounds.

The 2012 Super Rugby season was the second season of the Super Rugby competition, an annual rugby union competition that involves teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, in its 15-team format. For sponsorship reasons, this competition is known as FxPro Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa. Including its past incarnations as Super 12 and Super 14, this was the 17th season for the Southern Hemisphere's premier transnational club competition. The conference games took place every weekend from 24 February until 14 July, followed by the finals series, culminating in the grand final on 4 August. While its three main broadcasting partners are Fox Sports (Australia), Sky Sport and SuperSport, Super Rugby can be viewed in many countries throughout the world.

The 2013 Super Rugby season was the third season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The tournament was won by the Chiefs, who defeated the Canberra-based Brumbies 27–22 in the competition final. For sponsorship reasons, this competition is known as FxPro Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa. Including the past incarnations as Super 12 and Super 14, this was the 18th season of the Southern Hemisphere's premier domestic competition. Conference matches took place every weekend from 15 February until 13 July – with a break between rounds 17 and 18 for internationals games – followed by the play-offs series that culminated in the final on 3 August.

The 2014 Super Rugby season is the fourth season of the 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition involving teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For sponsorship reasons, this competition is known as Asteron Life Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa. Including its past incarnations as Super 12 and Super 14, this is the 19th season for the Southern Hemisphere's premier transnational club competition. The conference games will take place every weekend from 15 February until 12 July, followed by the finals series, culminating in the grand final on 2 August. The winners of the 2014 Super Rugby Season were the New South Wales Waratahs.

The 2016 Super Rugby season was the 21st season of Super Rugby and the first season featuring an expanded 18-team format. It was also the first season that teams outside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa featured, with the Jaguares from Argentina and the Sunwolves from Japan taking part. This season also saw the return of the Kings, who competed just once before, in the 2013 Super Rugby season. The round-robin games took place every weekend from 26 February to 16 July 2016, followed by the finals series at the end of July and culminating in the final on 6 August.

The 2015 Super Rugby season was the 20th season of Super Rugby and the fifth season featuring an expanded 15-team format. For sponsorship reasons, this competition was known as Asteron Life Super Rugby in Australia, Investec Super Rugby in New Zealand and Vodacom Super Rugby in South Africa. The round-robin matches took place every weekend from 13 February until 13 June, followed by the finals series and culminating in the final on 4 July. This was the final season that featured a 15-team format.

The 2015 New South Wales Waratahs season was the club's 19th season since the inception of Super Rugby in 1996.

The 2015 Super Rugby Final, was played between the Hurricanes and the Highlanders. It was the 20th final in the Super Rugby competition's history and the fifth under the expanded 15-team format. This was the first Super Rugby final between two New Zealand teams since 2006 when the Hurricanes were beaten by the Crusaders.

In 2012, following the disappointing results of previous years, the Chiefs underwent a significant change in personnel. This included the recruitment of new coaches, including Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith, and players, including Aaron Cruden, Ben Tameifuna, Brodie Retallick and Sonny Bill Williams. The changes had an immediate impact as the Chiefs finished at the top of the New Zealand conference, qualifying for a home semi-final, which they won, defeating the Crusaders 20–17. They subsequently hosted the final for the first time in the teams's history, comprehensively defeating the Sharks by 37–6, claiming their first title. They also set many club records in the 2012 season, including: most home wins, best home streak, best season winning streak, and most points and tries scored.

The year 2014 was a challenging year for the Chiefs rugby team as they looked for their third straight super rugby title. They won eight of their Super Rugby games and finished fifth overall on the table, and second behind the Crusaders in the New Zealand Conference. Playing the Brumbies in the qualifying finals, they had a narrow loss, losing 32-30, which ended their super rugby season.

1996 was the first year of the Super 12 tournament and the Waikato Chiefs rugby team. They won 6 of their 11 games and finished 6th overall on the table, but they did not make the playoffs. The team was coached by Brad Meurant and captained by Richard Turner.

The 2016 Super Rugby Final was played between the Hurricanes and the Lions. It was the 21st final in the Super Rugby competition's history and the first under the expanded 18-team format. The Hurricanes had qualified in first place of the log standings during the regular season, while the Lions had qualified in second place. Both teams hosted quarter-final and semi-final matches. In the quarter-finals the Hurricanes beat the Sharks while the Lions beat the record Super rugby winners Crusaders. For the semi-finals it was the Hurricanes defeating fellow New Zealand team Chiefs in Wellington and the Lions defeating New Zealand team Highlanders in Johannesburg. Because of being the higher placed team in the regular season log standings, the final was held in Wellington.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Wellington_Hurricanes_18-23_The_Chiefs-1] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Wellington Hurricanes 18–23 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 28 February 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Queensland_Reds_19-24_Australian_Capital_Territories_Brumbies-2] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Queensland Reds 19–24 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Blue_Bulls_40-40_Auckland_Blues-3] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 40–40 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Free_State_20-24_Gauteng_Lions-4] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 20–24 Gauteng Lions". South African Rugby Union. 2 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Free_State_15-24_Auckland_Blues-5] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Free State 15–24 Auckland Blues". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Canterbury_Crusaders_19-17_Wellington_Hurricanes-6] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Canterbury Crusaders 19–17 Wellington Hurricanes". South African Rugby Union. 7 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[New_South_Wales_Waratahs_26-33_The_Chiefs-7] "SA Rugby Match Centre – New South Wales Waratahs 26–33 The Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Natal_Sharks_75-43_Otago_Highlanders-8] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Natal Sharks 75–43 Otago Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Blue_Bulls_14-3_Queensland_Reds-9] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Blue Bulls 14–3 Queensland Reds". South African Rugby Union. 8 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[Gauteng_Lions_44-36_Australian_Capital_Territories_Brumbies-10] "SA Rugby Match Centre – Gauteng Lions 44–36 Australian Capital Territories Brumbies". South African Rugby Union. 9 March 1997. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

[11] "Rugby: Chiefs want record crowd to spur them on".

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]