Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hemisphere competitions dating back to the South Pacific Championship in 1986, Super Rugby started as the Super 12 in the 1996 season with 12 teams from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 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.
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).
Robert Rawiri Hunter-Paul is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer. He has since become a business owner and television pundit, running Xtra Mile Marketing, an inbound and digital marketing company. Robbie retired from playing at the end of the 2011 season following a 19-season career with the Bradford Bulls, Harlequin FC, Huddersfield Giants, Salford City Reds and the Leigh Centurions. He then spent just under 2 years as business development manager at the Huddersfield Giants, and 3 years as CEO at the Bradford Bulls. Robbie played for the New Zealand Kiwis national team from 1997 - 2006. He is the younger brother of former New Zealand Kiwis and England Rugby player Henry Paul.
Bradley Carnegie Thorn is a New Zealand Australian rugby union coach and former rugby league and rugby union footballer. Born in New Zealand, he represented Australia in rugby league and New Zealand in rugby union in a twenty-two year career as a player, starting at age nineteen and finishing at age forty-one. He was the head coach of the Australian Super Rugby Pacific team, the Queensland Reds. Thorn is their second longest-serving coach in history and their longest serving coach in the professional era.
Scott Hill is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He was previously with the Harlequins RL club in the Super League. His usual position is at five-eighth. Hill previously played in Australia for the Melbourne Storm, Hunter Mariners and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Hill is a former New South Wales and Australian representative player.
Quade Santini Cooper is a professional rugby union player and occasional boxer. Although born in New Zealand, he has represented Australia in rugby at international level. He currently plays for Hanazono Liners in Japan, and is a former player for the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition in Australia. His preferred position is fly-half.
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.
Jono Lance is a professional rugby union footballer who previously played for Western Force in the Super Rugby AU competition. He usually plays at full-back, fly-half or centre.
Paddy Ryan is an Australian rugby union player who plays as a tight-head prop. Ryan played eight seasons for the New South Wales Waratahs, where he surpassed one hundred caps in Super Rugby. He was also capped for the Australian national team.
Tomás Maria Cubelli is an Argentine professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Pro D2 club Biarritz and the Argentina national team.
Ruan-Henry Smith is a South African professional rugby union player currently signed to the New South Wales Waratahs of Super Rugby in Australia for Super Rugby Pacific. His regular playing position is Loosehead Prop.
Bill Meakes is an Australian professional rugby union player currently playing for Chicago Hounds in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also has represented Australia in rugby sevens. His usual position is centre.
Andrew Kellaway is an Australian rugby union player who currently plays for the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition. He also previously played for the Waratahs and English club Northampton. Kellaway has been capped for Australia's national team, the Wallabies. His regular playing positions are Centre, fullback or wing.
Kaide Ellis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop and loose forward for the Wigan Warriors in the ESL.
Henry Stowers is a New Zealand born, Samoan rugby union player who plays for the Benetton Rugby in the United Rugby Championship. His playing position is flanker. He is also a Samoan international.
The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea that participates in the Queensland Cup in Australia. They have relocated to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the 2021 Intrust Super Cup Season. The 2021 Intrust Super Cup will be the PNG Hunters' eighth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup after securing their future with a four-year license from 2019 until 2022. A 37-man train-on squad was announced for the pre season before it was trimmed and the final squad finalized. Doncaster RLFC agreed for Watson Boas to play with the Hunters squad until he was able to return to the United Kingdom. In partnership with PacificAus Sports( Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League, PNG Hunters and QRL signed a three year agreement titled 'Growing and Supporting Rugby League in Papua New Guinea' in February which will see the PacificAus Sports and QRL assisting to develop the sport in the country by creating pathways for emerging PNG players and also develop pathways for PNG teams like the PNG Hunters Under-19s and Papua New Guinea Hunters women's to take part in high-level Australian sporting competitions The Hunters travelled with a 24-man squad to Queensland after six could not travel due to visa issues. Three consultants were recruited to join the coaching team in order to refine and up-skill the coaching staff through funding by PacificAus sports program.
The Queensland Reds Women, or Queensland Reds (Super W), are an Australian women's rugby union team based in Brisbane, Queensland that compete in the annual Super W competition. A female rugby union competition, is considered to be the female equivalent of the Super Rugby, however only holds Australian teams (until 2022). New Zealand holds a similar competition, the Super Rugby Aupiki.
