With a good base of Argentinian internationals the new team will be no pushover, and being their first home game on Argentinian soild it will no doubt increase the degree of difficulty for the two-time champion Chiefs.
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Australia and New Zealand’s conferences remain the same while South Africa’s has been split in two groups of four: one with the Bulls, Cheetahs, Stormers and Japan; the other with Lions, Sharks, and two new sides in the Kings and Argentina, who will be known as the Pumas like their national team.
The Waratahs will kick off their season at home on Saturday, February 27 with a local derby against the Queensland Reds at Allianz Stadium, Moore Park, according to the Super Rugby schedule released by SANZAR on Monday.
Each team will play six matches within their own conference, five against the Australasian, four against a South African conference team and have two byes across the 17-week regular competition.
Rebels to make historic Round 4 visit to Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo to become the first Aussie opponents for the new Japanese team.
No Super Rugby will be played in all of June for the global window, with the final to be played on the first weekend of August.
The Argentine team start their Super Rugby campaign in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs while the Port-Elizabeth-based Kings re-enter the competition with a clash against the Sharks at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in the first round.
“We are in the envious position to be delivering our great brand of rugby to new cities and global markets, unlocking a host of commercial opportunities and delivering the unbridled excitement of Super Rugby to a legion of new and existing fans”, SANZAR interim CEO Brendan Morris said in a statement.
“The next evolution of Super Rugby has arrived and as well bringing three new teams, 15 more regular season matches and a new eight-team finals format, there is a genuine feeling among our fans that any one of our Aussie teams can hoist that shiny new trophy at the end of the season”.
“We know there is an enormous appetite for the game in Japan with an estimated 20 million Japanese fans tuning in to the Rugby World Cup so far, spurred on by the national team’s stunning upset of South Africa”, Pulver said. The next highest-ranked team from the African conference will also be placed in the Finals Series along with the three next highest-ranked teams from Australasian conference.
“We can not rest on our laurels”.
Australia’s best performing teams, the NSW Waratahs and Brumbies, face tough opening matches.
“We are very excited by the next chapter of the competition”, said New Zealand Rugby General Manager Rugby Neil Sorensen. There will also be an expanded eight-team finals series made up of seven matches.
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Pulver believed Australian teams would again challenge for the title.
