The 2021 Super Rugby AU season represents a landmark period for Rugby Australia after the code signed a new broadcast deal with Nine and Stan Sport. O’Connor will captain the Reds at the start of the season as Wright is injured. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the tournament this year will be wholly regionalized, with the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season and the 2021 Super Rugby AU season replacing the previous 15 side format used … Rugby Australia Director of Rugby Scott Johnson said thanked the members involved in the process, and believes they have struck the 'right balance' heading into the 2021 season. The rebirth of Australian rugby is well and truly underway with popular streaming service Stan acquiring the exclusive rights to show the 2021 Super Rugby AU season kicking off on February 19. They have brought in Australia No 9 Joe Powell as well as centre Young Tonumaipea, who makes the switch from league and previously spent two years on a Mormon mission in Germany. Super Rugby AU . Photo: Getty Images. The 2021 season will see 22 games played over 12 action-packed weekends, with a winner to be crowned with the final on 8 May. Round 2. Squad news The Canberra franchise have retained the bulk of their 2020 title-winning side, but they have lost experienced Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani to Western Force and scrum-half Joe Powell to the Rebels. R ugby Australia has a new chief executive and a shiny new broadcast partner, but on the eve of the 2021 season, the game in this country remains beset … Billy Meakes, another experienced head, has also left for the LA Giltinis. Pumas Tomás Cubelli, who previously played in Australia for the Brumbies, Tomás Lezana, Santiago Medrano and Domingo Miotti are all playing for the Perth team in 2021. Michael Hooper and Ned Hanigan have taken up contracts in Japan while another Wallaby forward, Rob Simmons, is at London Irish. But they have looked to improve their attacking game in recent years and that’s where scrum-half Nic White comes in. Again!#SuperRugby25Years #SuperRugbyAU #REDvFOR pic.twitter.com/QgF1p5k5r1, — Super Rugby (@SuperRugby) July 22, 2020. Key player Young back-rowers Harry Wilson, Liam Wright and Fraser McReight were among the breakthrough stars of 2020, while James O’Connor, now 30, looked assured at fly-half upon returning to Australia after four years in Europe (he was also the top point-scorer). Key player The Rebels, who had to play all their games outside of Melbourne last year due to border restrictions relating to Covid, don’t have a squad packed with big names but they do have some stardust in the back-line with the likes of Marika Koroibete, Matt Toomua and Reece Hodge. 10 Feb 2021 Super Rugby - AU. The 2021 Super Rugby season is the 26th season of Super Rugby, an annual men’s international rugby union tournament organized by SANZAAR. Coach When Western Force were axed from Super Rugby in 2017, David Wessels made the switch to the Rebels and has been in charge ever since. Consumers can pre-activate the Stan Sport package now to get a 30 day free trial for a limited time only. Super Rugby AU Wrap: Greg Clark recaps the Final. Stat attack The Force scored only 15 tries in last year’s campaign and were bottom of most of the attacking stats by a considerable distance, such as offloads, defenders beaten, carries and clean breaks. Championship or bust. Stat attack Filipo Daugunu dominated the stats charts in 2020, with 771 metres made (more than 150 metres further than any other player), 117 carries, 36 defenders beaten, 13 offloads and six tries. Sky’s rugby coverage has continued to dwindle over the years and its loss of Super Rugby means the British & Irish Lions tour is the only event left on its roster. He said: “I’m embarrassed to be in this position and I apologise to the QRU and my team-mates for that.”, Breaking: New Reds recruit Suliasi Vunivalu "charged with allegedly pushing a security guard at a licensed venue in Brisbane" … fined $10,000 … stood down for round one vs Tahs. Stat attack The transitional period the Waratahs are in is highlighted by the fact that the number of players in the squad with Test experience has halved in just two years, from 16 in 2019 to eight in 2021. “I want to thank all involved in this process – these variations have the capacity to enhance the capabilities of our players, and the general entertainment value in the game as well," he said. Beaten finalists last year, the Reds will be looking to go one step better when their 2021 Super Rugby AU campaign begins tonight. They need to improve in those areas if they are to be more competitive in the coming weeks. Coach Dan McKellar took over for the 2018 season, moving up from an assistant role to replace Wallabies-bound coach Stephen Larkham. Former Ireland full-back Rob Kearney has headed Down Under, Wallaby centre Tevita Kuridrani has joined from the Brumbies and several Argentina players have also signed up. The second season of Super Rugby AU will kick off in February, returning top flight rugby union in Australia to its traditional autumn slot in 2021. A lot has changed in the game since then, but the excitement within the Australian game … 4 Feb 2021 Super Rugby - AU. Key player Lachie Swinton had something of a nightmare start to his Test career when he was red-carded, and subsequently banned for four matches, which includes the Super Rugby opener, for a high hit on Sam Whitelock. 19 Sep 2020 Super Rugby - AU. Team that kicked off at the start of the game to start the first period of extra time, First Try scored in any of the extra time periods wins the match for that team, Losing team receives bonus point for being within 7 points. The full list of rule variations for the upcoming Super Rugby AU season can be seen below. Coach Former Munster boss Rob Penney signed a three-year deal with the Sydney franchise in late 2019 so this is his second season at the helm. He’ll have been disappointed to sign off 2020 by missing potential match-winning kicks in three Australia Tests, but the power of his boot will be integral in helping the Rebels get territory as well as points in this campaign. The 2021 Super Rugby AU season will officially kick-off on Friday 19 February. The latter’s versatility is illustrated by the fact he has played every position for the Wallabies bar scrum-half. With the Super Rugby AU season fast-approaching, the competition have announced a host of rule variations - and one of them will be sure to excite plenty of fans. The challenge now is whether they can maintain that sort of figure without Philip. Once the season concluded Wilson won six caps for Australia – imagine what he will be like this season with another year of experience under his belt in 2021. Story soon @smh, — Tom Decent (@tomdecent) February 16, 2021. One of them is new skipper Jake Gordon, a scrum-half. ONE DAY TO GO @SuperRugby AU kicks off in Australia tomorrow with #REDvWAR & #FORvBRU @BrumbiesRugby defending champs but this year looks to be a super close tournament…#SuperRugbyAU pic.twitter.com/BjyMeqli2e, — Super Rugby (@SuperRugby) February 17, 2021. His strong leadership skills have been a regular feature in the Mitre 10 Cup and of recent […] Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Round 10 Semi Final Final. If the ball crosses the 5m line but is then blown back play continue, The defending team did not take the ball into their own 50-metre area; or, A tackle, ruck or maul takes places within the 50-metre area; or, An opponent touched the ball within the 50-metre area, The above does not apply if a player kicks the ball from a free-kick awarded in the 50-metre area, The 50-metre area includes the defending teams in goal, The defending team did not take the ball into their own 22-metre area; or, A tackle, ruck or maul takes places within the 22-metre area; or, An opponent touched the ball within the 22-metre area, The above does not apply if a player kicks the ball from a free-kick awarded in the 22-metre, The 22-metre area includes the defending team’s in-goal. Find out what's inside the new issue, which is a 2021 Six Nations Championship special, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, no UK television deal in place for Super Rugby, LATEST RUGBY WORLD MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION DEALS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the tournament this year will be wholly regionalised, with the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa season and the 2021 Super Rugby AU season replacing the previous 15 side format used from 2018 till 2020. Super Rugby AU is back for a second season, with the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels looking to dethrone … The Final will be hosted by the team that finishes top of the ladder after the 10-round regular season, and they will play the winner of a two-versus-three Qualifying Final in the decider. Unfortunately there is still no UK television deal in place for Super Rugby matches – either the AU tournament or NZ’s Aotearoa, which gets underway next week – but here is the lowdown on the five Australian sides competing for the title. Super Rugby Aotearoa . View the Rugby4Cast Algorithm's predictions for Super Rugby Australia 2021. Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page said: "Harvey Norman is thrilled to partner with Super Rugby AU as naming rights for season 2021. Another step closer to Super Rugby AU after this morning's fantastic season launch , See you all on Friday night at @hbfpark , Force v Brumbies Friday, 19 February⌚️Kick-off at 7:00pm (AWST), gates open at 5:30pm#GameOn #SuperRugby #ForceForever pic.twitter.com/lYY1pvHgfF, — Western Force (@westernforce) February 17, 2021. View matches, stats, predictions and betting tips. He also won more lineouts (39) than any other player last year. Must cross the goal line and travel 5m. So what of the arrivals? There is also one full Super Rugby AU match available per round on free to air with Channel Nine. Following the success of Super Rugby AU in 2020, 2021 will feature 12 weeks of back-to-back action kicking off on 19 February and concluding with a … Locked-up Force ready for Brumbies battle. The 2021 Super Rugby AU season kicks off this week with a double bill on Friday 19 February – Reds v Waratahs followed by Western Force v Brumbies.. According to Queensland legend Tim Horan that is the simple equation for the Reds in 2021 as they prepare to kick off their Super Rugby AU … The 2021 Super Rugby AU season kicks off this week with a double bill on Friday 19 February – Reds v Waratahs followed by Western Force v Brumbies. His time with Montpellier and Exeter means he’s adept at playing it tight, but he also knows when to make a sniping break and complements exciting 21-year-old fly-half Noah Lolesio. Key player The Brumbies are known for their strength up front – not surprising with international props like Scott Sio, James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa in their ranks – and they have been famed for the power of their maul. Former league player Izaia Perese bolsters the outside back options while locks Jack Whetton, son of All Black Gary, Sam Wykes and Sam Caird have also come in. @Reds_Rugby Filipo Daugunu with the sidestep. The Super Rugby AU season is set to kick off for 2021, with the Brumbies looking to defend their crown after overcoming the Reds in the final. Super Rugby AU begins in five days, yet officials and teams know in a pandemic that five days can be a very long time. Love Bytes: Listen in this season as we put you on the inside. Hamilton’s Chiefs have announced that halfback Brad Weber will join All Blacks Captain Sam Cane as co-Captain of the Chiefs for 2021. The NSW Waratahs have locked in their home grounds for the 2021 Super Rugby AU season, with Rob Penney’s side to play out of three venues across their domestic campaign. The wing/centre is so highly rated he was called into the Wallabies squad two weeks after winning the NRL with Storm and before he’d linked up with the Reds. He clearly needs to work on lowering his body height when tackling/clearing, but his physicality and abrasiveness at blindside could be just what the Waratahs need going into a campaign where they lack the class across the board most of the other franchises have. Sanction: The non-kicking team has the option of the kick being retaken or a scrum on the 5m line in line with the place where the kick was taken. Super Rugby AU Wrap: Greg Clark recaps the Final. With the strength of both brands working together, the opportunities and impact will be huge. Squad news Having been axed from Super Rugby in 2017, Force were welcomed back into the fold for the domestic competition last year – and they have bolstered their squad with big names for their second AU campaign. The 2021 Super Rugby AU season is here, albeit three weeks later than last year. pic.twitter.com/EVaFvOq3rh, — Melbourne Rebels (@MelbourneRebels) February 17, 2021. When the ball has been clearly won by a team at the ruck, and is available to be played, the referee calls “use it”, after which the ball must be played away from the ruck within five seconds. Super Rugby AU Team Guide 2021. Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. He took to Super Rugby with ease in 2020, as he claimed Rugby Australia’s rookie of the year award. Coach World Cup-winning All Blacks lock and former rugby league star Brad Thorn was named Reds coach in October 2017 and last year took the side to their first final since 2013. The competition will again be played with law variations and the five teams involved are due to play the New Zealand franchises in a Trans-Tasman competition In May-June, although that is under threat due to new Covid outbreaks in Australasia. 30-year-old Weber debuted for the Chiefs in 2014 and established himself as the Club’s first-choice halfback. MORE: Waratahs looking to build off impressive trial performance. One of the most pertinent observations of the off-season was Dan McKellar’s remark that the Brumbies won Super Rugby AU without playing at their best. It’s prop Taniela Tupou we’re going to highlight here, though, as his destructive power, whether at the scrum or in the loose, is crucial to team-mates thriving. Super Rugby AU 2021: Officials prepared for anything as season kicks off It will be important for the team to bond quickly and the 35-year-old has a wealth of experience in different environments to draw on as well as the determination to see the Force improve on a winless 2020 campaign. Use this live TV schedule to catch the upcoming games: Starting with a double-header on February 19, the reigning Super Rugby champions, the Brumbies, will seek to defend their crown in a 10-round season culminating in a short finals series. You can download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door. Get your official tickets from Ticketek The 2021 Super Rugby season is the 26th season of Super Rugby, an annual men's international rugby union tournament organised by SANZAAR, involving teams from Australia and New Zealand. There have also been other innovative rule changes brought over from last season, including the 50/22 rule and the replacements for red-carded players. Enjoy the luxury of home delivery and never miss an issue <<, However, he will miss the season opener after being charged by police over an incident at a bar in Brisbane. The 2021 Super Rugby AU season draw sees 22 games over 12 action-packed weekends, kicking off on 19 February and concluding with the Final on 8 May. The restart kick must be taken within 30 seconds from the time a conversion has been taken or declined, or from the time a penalty goal or dropped goal is kicked. “There were some terrific, robust discussions that were had, and some great left-field ideas proposed. Squad news The revolving door has been spinning, with the players coming in not matching the quality of those going out. Stat attack The Rebels had the best lineout in Super Rugby AU 2020, with a 90% success rate. Rugby Australia has also announced the 2021 Super Rugby AU season draw with 22 games over 12 action-packed weekends, kicking off on 19 February and concluding with the Final on 8 May. Round 3. Those figures put him in top spot for all those categories. View the 2021 Super Rugby AU season draw. Hooker James Hanson and Argentinean duo Lucio Sordoni and Ignacio Calas were late additions to the squad in February. Super Rugby 2021 Live Fixtures (Sydney time) Every game of the 2021 Super Rugby season is airing on Nine and Stan Sport. Fly-half Noah Lolesio on the ball in Brumbies training (Getty Images). Super Rugby Trans-Tasmanwill follow these tournaments, a crossover competition featur… The Final will be hosted by the team that finishes top of the ladder after the 10-round regular season, and they will play the winner of a two-versus-three Qualifying Final in the decider. Former Fiji coach John McKee has also joined the set-up as an assistant. The 2021 Super Rugby was halted early in the season due to coronavirus and has come up with an inventive way of giving rugby fans their much needed fix! Sanction: Scrum on the 5m line in line with the place where the kick was taken. The 30 day free trial will start when Stan Sport launches. Can’t get to the shops? Is taken anywhere on or behind the defending team’s goal line. Kurtley Beale is now at Racing 92 too. The 2021 Super Rugby season is the 26th season of Super Rugby, an annual men’s international rugby union tournament organised by SANZAAR, involving teams from Australia and New Zealand. Ian Prior says the Western Force are ready for every challenge during the Super RugbyAU season. "Now is such an exciting time for Super Rugby AU after the challenges of the pandemic in 2020. Key player Former All Blacks lock Jeremy Thrush, who joined the Force from Gloucester in 2018, is the ideal figurehead for this eclectic squad that features players from seven different countries. After a team has scored, their opponents restart play with a drop kick on or behind the centre of the half-way line. After the thrilling success of Super Rugby AU in 2020, the five Australian sides will rejoin battle in another domestic 2021 campaign. 21 Sep 2020 Super Rugby - AU. In an announcement on Wednesday morning, there will now be 'Super Time' golden try for drawn games - a slight variation on last year's addition to promote more attacking rugby. >> SPECIAL OFFER: Subscribe to Rugby World magazine and get three issues for just £5. Buy official 2021 Super Rugby Season tickets. Super Rugby AU: Western Force end 1329-day winless drought after nail-biting win over Waratahs, Six Nations 2021: Fixtures, results, teams, how to watch in Australia and more, Super Rugby AU: Fixtures, squads, how to watch Super Rugby and more, Super Rugby AU Fixtures, teams and how to watch, Women's Rugby World Cup set to be postponed due to COVID-19, Super Rugby AU: Waratahs back embattled coach Rob Penney after 'embarrassing' Brumbies defeat, Waratahs back Penney after 'embarrassing' Brumbies defeat, https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sportal_com_au/86/7/will-harrison_afvrizmic2mx1l9e1yxs4jbew.jpg?t=1449967716&w=500&quality=80, Waratahs looking to build off impressive trial performance, When an attacking player carrying the ball is held up in the in-goal or knocks the ball on Play restarts with a goal line drop out, When a kick enters the in-goal area and is forced by the defending team Play restarts with a goal line drop out, If all substitutions have been used the Red Carded player will not be able to be replaced. 2021 Super Rugby. “The variations were all unanimously agreed, and everyone also indicated a desire for referees to ‘speed up the game’ with a general reduction in scrum resets, and a greater onus on the attacking team to use the ball from a ruck when available.". The 2021 Super Rugby AU season will officially kick-off on Friday 19 February. Squad news Matt Philip, who established himself as a first-choice lock for the Wallabies last season, is a big loss in the engine room – he has taken up a year’s contract at Pau. The Final will be hosted by the team that finishes top of the ladder after the 10-round regular season, and they will play the winner of a two-versus-three Qualifying Final in the decider. Coach Tim Sampson took charge of Western Force in 2018 and extended his contract until 2022 late last year. "We believe we have struck a great balance in preserving the integrity of the competition, developing our players for the Test arena later this year and enhancing the spectacle of the game. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 … Squad news There’s a familiar feel to Thorn’s squad, with more than 30 players retained from last season. We run through the five Australian franchises competing in this year’s competition, Former Ireland full-back Rob Kearney is part of the Western Force squad (Getty Images). The 2021 Super Rugby AU season draw has been confirmed with 22 games over 12 action-packed weekends, kicking off on 19 February and concluding with the Final on 8 May. As well as a handful of promotions from the academy squad, Kiwi lock James Tucker, outside back Reece Tapine and prop Archer Holz have been recruited. Pre-activating is as simple as visiting: Stan.com.au/sport Following the success of Super Rugby AU, the competition will be revisited again in 2021 with all five Australia Super Rugby sides to face off in a 10 round season with a Final. Vodafone Super Rugby AU Final: Brumbies vs Reds. Aside from academy players moving into the first team, their big signing is Suliasi Vunivalu from league side Melbourne Storm. An opponent must not charge over the 5m line before the ball is kicked. Stat attack The Brumbies’ balance of tight drives and wide attacks is perfectly illustrated by the fact hooker Folau Fainga’a and wing Tom Wright were joint top try-scorers (five each) for the team in Super Rugby AU last year. As for Super Rugby AU, it looks like fans in the northern hemisphere will have to settle for highlights online in 2021. Super Rugby AU. The Final once again will be hosted by the team that finishes top of the ladder after the 10-round regular season, and they will play the winner of a two-versus-three Qualifying Final in the decider.