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 Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland. With the introduction of the professional Super 12 competition they moved to a model where players are contracted to the Reds through the Queensland Rugby Union rather than selected on the basis of club form.
Stephen Larkham is a retired Australian rugby union professional player, currently in the role of head coach for Brumbies. He spent his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception of the professional Super 12 in 1996 through 2007. He is best known for his long tenure with the Wallabies at international level, for whom he played 102 times. After initial selection at fullback from 1996 to 1997, Larkham was the first-choice Australian fly-half from 1997 to 2007, playing in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups. He is married to Jacqueline and has two children, Jaimee and Tiahna.
Joe Roff is a retired Australian rugby union footballer and a product of the Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Union Club in Canberra, who played on the wing or at fullback for ACT Brumbies and Australia and played 5 tests as a centre in the early part of his Test career. He also had a spell at the French club Biarritz and in 2005–6 at Kubota Spears in Japan's Top League Of his 86 caps, 62 were won in consecutive games from 1996 to 2001. His final game saw him captain Oxford against Cambridge in the 2007 Varsity Match.
George Smith is an Australian retired rugby union player. He was a flanker for 12 years (2000–10,13) at the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, earning 142 caps.
Radike Samo is a retired Australian rugby union player. He plays lock, flanker, number 8 and can even play on the wing.
Rugby union in Australia has a history of organised competition dating back to the late 1860s. Although traditionally most popular in Australia's rugby football strongholds of New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, it is played throughout the nation.
Rodger Siaosi Toutai Kefu is a Tongan-Australian professional rugby union coach and former player who has been coaching the Tonga national team since 2016.
Kade Poki is a rugby union player who plays for the Bayonne in the French Top 14 competition. Prior to his move abroad, he had represented Tasman in the ITM Cup and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.
Rugby union in Victoria describes the sport of rugby union being played and watched in the state of Victoria in Australia. The code was first introduced some time between the 1850s and 1880s but remained a minor sport played primarily in the private schools and amongst interstate expats. This has changed, particularly since the professionalisation of the game in the mid 1990s.
The Super Rugby competition in rugby union, including teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and, in the past, from Argentina, Japan and South Africa, is based on a "franchise" system of teams. The original member countries – Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – all have several regional franchises, while the expansion countries – Argentina, Fiji, Japan and the Pacific Islands – have/had one franchise each. The article covers specific detail as to the areas covered by each Super Rugby team. Bold denotes stadiums that are current primary stadiums for the franchises.
James Alexander Slipper is an Australian professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Super Rugby club ACT Brumbies and captains the Australia national team.
The Australian Provincial Championship, or APC was a rugby union football competition played in Australia. It was one of several provincial competitions since the late 1960s, including the Wallaby Trophy and Ricoh National Championship, that have not continued.
Louis Daniel van Zyl Fouché is a South African rugby union player for the Cheetahs in the Pro14 and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. His regular position is fly-half.
Albert Anae is a rugby union footballer who plays professionally for the Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in the Japanese Top League. He usually plays as a prop or hooker. Anae previously played for the Queensland Reds, and Italian club Benetton.
Grant Neil Hattingh is a rugby union player who plays as a lock, flanker or eighthman for Japanese sides the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Kobelco Steelers in the Top League.
Rory Arnold is an Australian professional rugby union player. He played for the Stade Toulousain in the Top 14 competition, and has represented Australia in test matches. His regular position is lock.
Harumichi Tatekawa is a Japanese rugby union player who can play either as a fly-half or centre. He plays for the Kubota Spears in Japan and the Brumbies in the international Super Rugby competition.
The ACT Vets are a rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), whose players must be 35 years of age or older. Portsea Oval, at the Royal Military College, Duntroon is the club's home ground.
Thomas Banks is an Australian professional rugby union player who currently plays for Mie Honda Heat in the Japanese League One – Division 1. He has represented Australia in international rugby between 2018 and 2022. Banks started his Super Rugby career with the Queensland Reds in 2015. He has played in the National Rugby Championship (NRC) for Queensland Country and the Canberra Vikings. His preferred position is fullback or wing.