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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.
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in the competition's history and have won a total of 14 titles.
The Highlanders is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that founded the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s.
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 ACT Brumbies is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inhabit the capital's hinterland. The team represents the ACT, as well as the Far South Coast and Southern Inland regions of New South Wales (NSW).
Auckland are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1883, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Eden Park in Auckland. The team is affiliated with the Blues Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are blue and white hoops.
Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a fly half for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and for the New Zealand national team.
Ben Tu'umoe Paul Afeaki is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. His regular playing position was prop. He represented the Chiefs in Super Rugby and North Harbour in the ITM Cup between 2010 and 2014 and also made one appearance for New Zealand in 2013.
Ben Volavola is a Fijian Australian international rugby union player who plays for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. He has previously played for Agen in the French Pro D2 competition; for Bordeaux Bègles, Racing 92 and Perpignan in the Top 14; Super Rugby clubs such as the Waratahs, Crusaders, and the Rebels. Volavola typically plays as either a fly-half or full back.
Misimoa Benjamin Lam is a professional rugby league & former rugby union player who plays as a wing for Super League club Catalans Dragons. Born in New Zealand, he represented Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Blake Gibson is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a loose forward for Auckland in the ITM Cup and the Blues in Super Rugby.
Sione Tulimaiau Mafileo is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who currently plays as a prop for North Harbour in the ITM Cup and the Chiefs in the international Super Rugby competition.
Theresa Matauaina Setefano is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was a member of the Black Ferns champion 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup squads. She has also represented New Zealand in rugby sevens; she won gold medals at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She played for the Blues Women in the 2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
Niall Williams-Guthrie is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level. She has won silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Chelsea Semple is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was part of the Black Ferns side that won their fifth Rugby World Cup title in 2017. She plays for the Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.
Rieko Edward Ioane is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who plays as a wing or as a centre for New Zealand team Blues in Super Rugby and the New Zealand national team. In his youth career, he was selected to play in the 2014 and 2015 Sevens World Series for New Zealand and took part in Auckland Grammar School first XV, the top representative team in secondary school.
Krysten Cottrell is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her international debut for New Zealand in 2018. She also plays for the Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Hawke's Bay provincially.
References
- ↑ "Ben Nee-Nee". www.itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ↑ "Auckland seeking big finish against Canterbury - Times". Times. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ↑ Oberholzer, Erene (26 April 2018). "Super Rugby: Blues vs Jaguares – Team news, kick off and live stream". The South African. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
