Super Rugby: New Trans-Tasman competition set for 2021 kick-off

With no clear solution on how to fix the mess rugby has fallen into, Australia and New Zealand have agreed to play each other more often after losing South Africa.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Mark Robinson has been appointed the new Chief Executive of New Zealand Rugby during a New Zealand Rugby Media Announcement on September 09, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

Australia and New Zealand have agreed to play a shortened trans-Tasman competition in 2021 to buy themselves more time to figure out what to do next to save Super Rugby after losing the support of world champions South Africa.

The promises to fill the gaps with a Pacific Island team have been put on hold so the five Australian teams – the Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies, Rebels and Western Force – will play only against Kiwi teams – the Crusaders, Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and Highlanders.

The five round competition will be held between May and June next year, after the completion of the Australian and New Zealand domestic seasons, with the top two teams meeting in a final on June 19.

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The Australian and New Zealand teams will play in a new competition. Picture: Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images

It is still uncertain whether the crossover competition will become a regular event or will just be a one off as Australian and New Zealand officials are still at odds over how to fix the mess the game has fallen into.

New Zealand Rugby have already made it clear they don’t want more than three Australian sides in a permanent joint competition because of the massive gap in playing standards – which they cruelly backed up with actions when the All Blacks humiliated the Wallabies 43-5 at a sparsely attended ANZ Stadium two weeks ago to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 18th year in a row.

But New Zealand’s selfish Kiwi-first approach has unwittingly resulted in a massive fallout with South Africa – now the biggest drawcard in international rugby – who are ditching the southern hemisphere for the more lucrative and popular European competitions.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson. Picture: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Increasingly isolated, Australia and New Zealand have been forced to kiss and make up – at least in public – so have promised each other a bunch of sweeteners while turning down the rhetoric.

“Comments from the past are the past,” Clarke said.

“We’ve been able to really get on the same page around how we might work more closely between our two nations and Unions,”

New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Mark Robinson said it was “too early” to speculate about how 2022 would look other than the Fiji Rugby Union and Moana Pasifika were the preferred partners if any Pasifika teams were added in the future.

“At present Rugby Australia are committed to five teams, and that’s their business around how they are funded and the depth and the talent around those teams,” Robinson said.

“We’ll just get into playing next year, that’s what our focus is.”

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2021 Super Rugby trans-Tasman draw

Round One

14-15 May 2021

Crusaders v Brumbies

Western Force v Chiefs

Melbourne Rebels v Blues

Highlanders v Queensland Reds

NSW Waratahs v Hurricanes

Round Two

21-22 May 2021

Chiefs v Brumbies

Western Force v Highlanders

Hurricanes v Melbourne Rebels

Queensland Reds v Crusaders

Blues v NSW Waratahs

Round Three – Super Round

28-29 May 2021

Brumbies v Blues

Hurricanes v Western Force

Melbourne Rebels v Highlanders

Queensland Reds v Chiefs

NSW Waratahs v Crusaders

Round Four

4-5 June 2021

Brumbies v Hurricanes

Crusaders v Western Force

Chiefs v Melbourne Rebels

Queensland Reds v Blues

Highlanders v NSW Waratahs

Round Five

11-12 June 2021

Brumbies v Highlanders

Blues v Western Force

Melbourne Rebels v Crusaders

Hurricanes v Queensland Reds

NSW Waratahs v Chiefs

Final

Saturday 19 June 2021

Originally published as Super Rugby: New Trans-Tasman competition set for 2021 kick-off