Dan Carter attends a training session after joining the Blues on 4 June 2020 in Auckland (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
This weekend sees Super Rugby – or at least a version of Super Rugby – back on our screens for the first time since mid-March.
Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021
The 2020 edition of the tournament was suspended after seven rounds of fixtures because of the global coronavirus pandemic, but with zero current active cases of the virus, New Zealand is ready to resume play.
It comes in the form of a tournament called Super Rugby Aotearoa that will see all five of New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises – Crusaders, Blues, Hurricanes, Highlanders and Chiefs – take each other on over 10 weeks.
The structure is simple enough: each team plays a total of eight matches – against everybody else, home and away – and whoever tops the log, wins!
The tournament gets underway this Saturday, 13 June with the Highlanders hosting the Chiefs (09:05, SA time) while on Sunday, 14 June the Blues host the Hurricanes (05:35, SA time).
It certainly isn’t first prize from a South African perspective, but it is something.
Here, we have compiled five facts that will bring you quickly up to speed on everything you need to know to enjoy the tournament.
1. All matches will be televised
The good news is that SuperSport has committed to televising all of the matches in the tournament. The times, however, mean that South Africans will have to be up very early to catch the live broadcasts. All Saturday matches start at 09:05 (SA time) and Sunday fixtures kick off at 05:35 (SA time).
2. Crowds
As sports leagues resume around the world, most are doing so behind closed doors and in empty stadiums. Because there are no current confirmed coronavirus cases in New Zealand, however, tournament organisers have confirmed that full crowds will be allowed to attend these matches! It is a development that will surely enhance the overall quality of the product, particularly for those of us watching from home.
3. New innovations and rules
The tournament is being used as an opportunity to trial a number of innovations in the game, including the ‘golden point’ rule and a groundbreaking initiative around red cards.
If matches are tied, then there will be a 10-minute extra-time period. The first team to score points of any kind during this period will then win the match in a sudden-death-like fashion. If nobody scores, then two log points will be awarded to each team.
If a side loses a player to a red card, then they will be allowed to replace him after a period of 20 minutes instead of losing him for the whole game.
Referees are also set to be a lot stricter at the breakdown, in terms of illegal movement and the offsides line, in an effort to speed up play.
4. Carter returns
Exactly how much he will play is not clear, but the return of Dan Carter – he will be turning out for the Blues – is massive news and undoubtedly a tournament attraction. Carter is 38-years-old and is considered one of the greatest rugby players of all time. The anticipation of his return is further heightened by the fact that he could play alongside Beauden Barrett, who is yet to make his Blues debut despite joining ahead of the 2020 season.
5. A glimpse into the future?
The future of Super Rugby, and South Africa’s participation in the tournament in particular, remains a talking point as reports of a potential South African move up north into European club competition continue to do the rounds.
The Super Rugby Aotearoa is also interesting in the context of the Springboks.
There has been no confirmation on when the 2020 edition of the Rugby Championship will take place, but Australian Rugby has been linked with hosting the tournament later in the year.
If that does happen, then the All Blacks will certainly enter that tournament as overwhelming favourites while the defending champion Springboks will be undercooked.
