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 Western Force is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia, currently competing in Super Rugby Pacific. They previously played in Super Rugby from 2006 until they were axed from the competition in 2017. Following their axing they played in the National Rugby Championship in 2018 and 2019, replacing the Perth Spirit, and Global Rapid Rugby from 2018 to 2020, an Indo-Pacific competition organised by Andrew Forrest.
The Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest club now playing rugby union in Australia, although this date is disputed by historian Tom Hickie who argues that it was 1865.
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.
Matt Hodgson is an Australian sports administrator and former professional rugby union player for the Western Force and the Wallabies, the Australian national team. He is currently head of rugby at Global Rapid Rugby which launched its Asia-Pacific Showcase competition in 2019.
Robert Abel is an Australian rugby union coach and former professional rugby union player who as of 2023, coaches forwards for the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby. He previously played at hooker for NSW, Melbourne Rebels and for the Brumbies in Super Rugby. The Māori All Blacks, and the Canberra Vikings and Perth Spirit, and also played for Northland and Auckland in the ITM Cup.
Global Rapid Rugby was an international rugby union competition that launched a showcase series for six professional teams in 2019, played in locations across the Asia-Pacific region. Rapid Rugby matches are slightly shorter than the traditional 80 minutes and have other variations from standard rugby laws that are intended to increase the speed of the game.
Tim Sampson is an Australian professional rugby union football coach. He is currently an assistant coach of the Melbourne Rebels team that plays in the Super Rugby Pacific competition, and was previously the head coach of the Western Force.
The Fijian Latui is a professional rugby union team based in Suva that plays in the Global Rapid Rugby competition.
Dominic Hardman is an English rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is prop. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Tom Sheminant is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is prop. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Benjamin William Grant is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition and the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR). His original playing position is lock. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Fergus Lee-Warner is an Australian rugby union player who plays for Bath in English Premiership Rugby competition. His original playing position is lock or flanker. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Tevin Ferris is a New Zealand born, Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is flanker. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Rory O'Sullivan is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is scrum-half. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Jake Strachan is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is fly-half or fullback. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Grason Makara is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His original playing position is centre. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020.
Byron Ralston is an Australian rugby union player who plays for Connacht in Ireland.
Ollie Callan is an English-born, Australian professional rugby union player who played for the Western Force in Global Rapid Rugby and the Super Rugby AU competition. His playing position is flanker. He was named in the Force squad for the Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2020. Ollie was released by the Force in September 2024.
The 2021 Super Rugby AU season was a professional club rugby union tournament organised by Rugby Australia. Announced on 11 November 2020, the tournament was the second season of Super Rugby AU, featuring the same 5 teams from the inaugural 2020 season, and ran from 19 February to 8 May 2021. The tournament was won by the Reds, who defeated the Brumbies 19–16 in the final at Suncorp Stadium, winning their first Super Rugby AU title, and first Super Rugby competition since 2011.
