Two local derbies to kick off Super 14

The inaugural Tooheys New Super 14 will kick off with local derbies pitching the four Australian teams against each other.

The Western Force will make their debut on Friday 10 February, taking on the Brumbies at Subiaco Oval.

The following day, the Queensland Reds host traditional rivals and last year's Finalists, the New South Wales Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium.

These two opening matches for the Australian teams have the potential to draw a combined crowd of over 90,000 fans.

In the second round the Reds host defending champions the Crusaders, while the traveling Brumbies and Waratahs play the Bulls and Stormers respectively and the Force travel to Wellington where they face the Hurricanes.

ARU Managing Director Gary Flowers says the local derby double is an exciting way to start Rugby's new era.

"Packed houses at Subiaco Oval and Suncorp Stadium could not provide a better stage for the new competition. The four Australian teams going at each other in the opening round is just the perfect start."

"NSW and QLD renew a Rugby rivalry that goes back to 1882, while our newest team, the Western Force, pit themselves against the most successful Australian team of the past ten years, the Brumbies."

The first match of Round One occurs across the Tasman with a blockbuster in Auckland between the Blues and the Hurricanes, mirroring the first ever Super 12 game back in 1996. The Force's debut will follow while the new South African team, the Central Cheetahs, will also play on the Friday in South Africa.

Mr Flowers emphasised that the emergence of the Western Force will see the record books shattered and a new dynamic emerge for Australian Rugby.

"We have had ten years of impressive growth in match attendance and pay television audiences. Last year average crowds and the Fox Sports audiences for Rugby sat at record levels. The Super 14 will undoubtedly re-write the history books.

Mr Flowers added that SANZAR has taken a five-year view with the draw which ensures that all teams are treated equally over time.

"Given the complexities of scheduling a 14 team international competition in multiple countries and time-zones - plus allowing for particular local circumstances - no individual team will experience the perfect draw in any given year.

"What we have done is schedule five years in advance so all teams experience the balance between the most favourable draw and circumstances that are less optimal.

The Final of the Super 14 will be held on 27 May 2006, with the Semi Finals a week earlier on 19-20 May.

2006 Super 14 draw at a glance

• The tournament kicks off on Friday 10 February
• The opening match between the Blues and the Hurricanes is the same opening match from the first year of Super 12 in 1996.
• The expansion of the tournament from 12 to 14 teams has increased the number of matches from 69 to 94 (including finals)
• Six of the seven matches in the opening round are local derbies, including two in Australia
• There will be a total of 25 local derbies, including six in Australia (up from 3 in Australia during Super 12)
• The number of matches to be played in Australia has increased to 26, plus any finals (up from 16-17 plus finals).
• Teams with seven home matches in 2006 - Crusaders, Bulls, Reds, Cheetahs, Brumbies, Chiefs, Stormers
• Teams with six home matches in 2006 - Blues, Force, Sharks, Hurricanes, Cats, Highlanders, Waratahs
• As per the Super 12, teams will only make one trip across the Indian Ocean
• 34 of the 91 pool matches are Friday night matches
• Six out of the seven teams to play the Western Force in Perth will do so either on the way to, or back from, South Africa - the only exception is the Waratahs who play the Force in Perth in between two home matches in Sydney
• There is a maximum of two teams having a bye in any one week (some rounds in Super 12 saw four teams having a bye)
• The Semi Finals will be on either 19 or 20 May, while the Final will be on Saturday 27 May

The complete draw is available in our Super 14 section of the website.