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Super Rugby is the southern hemisphere's leading rugby competition, featuring teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Since 1996, teams from the three countries have been playing for the title. The competition started with 12 teams, increased to 14 teams and then increased again to 15 teams, with 5 teams from each nation. The 2016 Super Rugby competition saw changes made with the addition of 3 new teams and format changes to allow for these teams. The new teams were the Southern Kings from South Africa, the Jaguares from Argentina and the Sunwolves from Japan. There was be 2 regional groups, the South African and Australasian Groups. |
The South African Group had 2 conferences, one with 3 South African teams and the Sunwolves (Japan) and one with 3 South African teams and the Jaguares (Argentina).
The Australasian Group had an Australian conference of 5 teams and a New Zealand conference of 5 teams.
In the South African conferences each team will play the other 3 teams on a home and away basis. They will also play each team in the other conference once and each team from one of the Australasian conferences.
In the Australasian conferences, each team will play two teams in their conference home and away. They will play the other 2 teams once, the teams in the other Australasian conference once and the teams in one of the South African conferences once.
The conference winners qualify for the Quarter Finals. The next 3 teams in the Australasian Group and the next best team in the South African Group also qualify. The conference winners will have home matches.
The highest rated winning teams will have home matches in the play-off series, including the final.
There was also a change made to the bonus point system for the Super Rugby season. The old system under which teams received a bonus point for scoring four or more tries has been abolished and teams will now only receive an attacking bonus point if they score three tries more than their opponents. There were also some minor amendments to the rules:
Maul laws
1. A player with the ball cannot move to the back of the maul, otherwise a penalty can be given.
Scrum laws
2. The ball can be cleared if available, when the scrum collapses.
3. If a player is lifted in the air, the scrum is ended immediately.
4. A team must be ready to crouch within 30 seconds of the referee setting the mark. Sanction: free kick
5. If a scrum wheels, it is reset and the ball is thrown in by the same team.
6. When a team has won the ball, the opposing halfback may not step into the space between the flanker and No.8.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Hurricanes | 15 | 11 | 4 | 458 | 314 | 9 | 53 | |
| Lions | 15 | 11 | 4 | 535 | 349 | 8 | 52 | |
| Stormers | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 440 | 274 | 9 | 51 |
| Brumbies | 15 | 10 | 5 | 425 | 326 | 3 | 43 | |
| Highlanders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 422 | 273 | 8 | 52 | |
| Chiefs | 15 | 11 | 4 | 491 | 341 | 7 | 51 | |
| Crusaders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 487 | 317 | 6 | 50 | |
| Sharks | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 360 | 269 | 5 | 43 |
| Bulls | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 399 | 339 | 4 | 42 |
| Waratahs | 15 | 8 | 7 | 413 | 317 | 8 | 40 | |
| Blues | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 374 | 380 | 5 | 39 |
| Melbourne Rebels | 15 | 7 | 8 | 365 | 486 | 3 | 31 | |
| Jaguares | 15 | 4 | 11 | 376 | 427 | 6 | 22 | |
| Cheetahs | 15 | 4 | 11 | 377 | 425 | 5 | 21 | |
| Reds | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 290 | 458 | 3 | 17 |
| Western Force | 15 | 2 | 13 | 260 | 441 | 5 | 13 | |
| Southern Kings | 15 | 2 | 13 | 282 | 684 | 1 | 9 | |
| Sunwolves | 15 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 293 | 627 | 3 | 9 |
NB: Top 4 placings are determined by conference leaders. Then the next 3 best Australasian Conference teams and the next best South African conference team.
| Australasian Group | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Hurricanes | 15 | 11 | 4 | 458 | 314 | 9 | 53 | |
| Brumbies | 15 | 10 | 5 | 425 | 326 | 3 | 43 | |
| Highlanders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 422 | 273 | 8 | 52 | |
| Chiefs | 15 | 11 | 4 | 491 | 341 | 7 | 51 | |
| Crusaders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 487 | 317 | 6 | 50 | |
| Waratahs | 15 | 8 | 7 | 413 | 317 | 8 | 40 | |
| Blues | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 374 | 380 | 5 | 39 |
| Melbourne Rebels | 15 | 7 | 8 | 365 | 486 | 3 | 31 | |
| Reds | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 290 | 458 | 2 | 16 |
| Western Force | 15 | 2 | 13 | 260 | 441 | 5 | 13 | |
| South African Group | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Lions | 15 | 11 | 4 | 535 | 349 | 8 | 52 | |
| Stormers | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 440 | 274 | 9 | 51 |
| Sharks | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 360 | 269 | 5 | 43 |
| Bulls | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 399 | 339 | 4 | 42 |
| Jaguares | 15 | 4 | 11 | 376 | 427 | 6 | 22 | |
| Cheetahs | 15 | 4 | 11 | 377 | 425 | 5 | 21 | |
| Southern Kings | 15 | 2 | 13 | 282 | 684 | 1 | 9 | |
| Sunwolves | 15 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 293 | 627 | 3 | 9 |
| New Zealand | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Hurricanes | 15 | 11 | 4 | 458 | 314 | 9 | 53 | |
| Highlanders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 422 | 273 | 8 | 52 | |
| Chiefs | 15 | 11 | 4 | 491 | 341 | 7 | 51 | |
| Crusaders | 15 | 11 | 4 | 487 | 317 | 6 | 50 | |
| Blues | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 374 | 380 | 5 | 39 |
| Australia | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Brumbies | 15 | 10 | 5 | 425 | 326 | 3 | 43 | |
| Waratahs | 15 | 8 | 7 | 413 | 317 | 8 | 40 | |
| Melbourne Rebels | 15 | 7 | 8 | 365 | 486 | 3 | 31 | |
| Reds | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 290 | 458 | 2 | 16 |
| Western Force | 15 | 2 | 13 | 260 | 441 | 5 | 13 | |
| South Africa 1 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Stormers | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 440 | 274 | 9 | 51 |
| Bulls | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 399 | 339 | 4 | 42 |
| Cheetahs | 15 | 4 | 11 | 377 | 425 | 5 | 21 | |
| Sunwolves | 15 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 293 | 627 | 3 | 9 |
| South Africa 2 | ||||||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | BP | Points |
| Lions | 15 | 11 | 4 | 535 | 349 | 8 | 52 | |
| Sharks | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 360 | 269 | 5 | 43 |
| Jaguares | 15 | 4 | 11 | 376 | 427 | 6 | 22 | |
| Southern Kings | 15 | 2 | 13 | 282 | 684 | 1 | 9 | |
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Blues Brumbies Cheetahs Sunwolves Crusaders Waratahs Western Force Southern Kings Stormers Crusaders Brumbies Chiefs Highlanders Reds Bulls Cheetahs Sharks Blues Western Force Highlanders Melbourne Rebels Sunwolves Southern Kings Stormers Hurricanes Waratahs Bulls Jaguares Sunwolves Crusaders Reds Lions Stormers Hurricanes Jaguares Chiefs Melbourne Rebels Sunwolves Cheetahs Sharks Reds Highlanders Lions Blues Brumbies Southern Kings Bulls Waratahs Chiefs Western Force Stormers Hurricanes Reds Sharks Southern Kings Crusaders Melbourne Rebels Cheetahs Blues Waratahs Bulls Lions Highlanders Melbourne Rebels Sunwolves Hurricanes Western Force Stormers Southern Kings Brumbies Chiefs Western Force Highlanders Blues Reds Lions Stormers Jaguares |
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Highlanders Hurricanes Jaguares Lions Chiefs Reds Melbourne Rebels Sharks Bulls Blues Waratahs Lions Hurricanes Western Force Melbourne Rebels Stormers Jaguares Hurricanes Brumbies Lions Reds Cheetahs Chiefs Sharks Western Force Highlanders Sharks Chiefs Melbourne Rebels Southern Kings Blues Cheetahs Brumbies Southern Kings Stormers Western Force Highlanders Bulls Brumbies Crusaders Waratahs Western Force Crusaders Jaguares Chiefs Sunwolves Cheetahs Melbourne Rebels Blues Crusaders Sunwolves Jaguares Highlanders Lions Bulls Jaguares Hurricanes Sunwolves Sharks Brumbies Reds Stormers Sharks Cheetahs Jaguares Chiefs Waratahs Reds Lions Crusaders Sharks Bulls Brumbies Melbourne Rebels Cheetahs Hurricanes Waratahs Southern Kings |
Auckland Canberra Bloemfontein Tokyo Christchurch Sydney Perth Port Elizabeth Cape Town Christchurch Canberra Hamilton Dunedin Brisbane Pretoria Bloemfontein Durban Auckland Perth Dunedin Melbourne Singapore Port Elizabeth Cape Town Palmerston North Sydney Pretoria Buenos Aires Tokyo Christchurch Brisbane Johannesburg Cape Town Wellington Buenos Aires Hamilton Melbourne Singapore Bloemfontein Durban Brisbane Dunedin Johannesburg Albany Canberra Port Elizabeth Pretoria Sydney Hamilton Perth Cape Town Wellington Brisbane Durban Port Elizabeth Christchurch Melbourne Bloemfontein Auckland Sydney Pretoria Johannesburg Dunedin Melbourne Tokyo Wellington Perth Cape Town Port Elizabeth Canberra New Plymouth Perth Invercargill Auckland Brisbane Johannesburg Cape Town Buenos Aires |
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Crusaders Brumbies Sunwolves Chiefs Waratahs Sharks Southern Kings Highlanders Melbourne Rebels Jaguares Hurricanes Waratahs Sunwolves Cheetahs Lions Crusaders Reds Chiefs Western Force Lions Sharks Bulls Hurricanes Waratahs Southern Kings Blues Brumbies Stormers Bulls Melbourne Rebels Chiefs Brumbies Sunwolves Hurricanes Melbourne Rebels Cheetahs Lions Southern Kings Jaguares Blues Reds Lions Jaguares Crusaders Waratahs Western Force Bulls Sharks Blues Reds Sharks Crusaders Highlanders Brumbies Stormers Cheetahs Jaguares Quarter-Finals Brumbies Hurricanes Lions Stormers Semi-Finals Hurricanes Lions Final Hurricanes |
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Reds Bulls Western Force Highlanders Cheetahs Hurricanes Blues Crusaders Brumbies Sharks Reds Bulls Stormers Southern Kings Blues Waratahs Sunwolves Melbourne Rebels Blues Jaguares Southern Kings Stormers Highlanders Chiefs Jaguares Crusaders Sunwolves Cheetahs Lions Western Force Crusaders Reds Waratahs Blues Stormers Western Force Sharks Highlanders Bulls Brumbies Chiefs Southern Kings Highlanders Melbourne Rebels Hurricanes Stormers Sunwolves Cheetahs Waratahs Melbourne Rebels Sunwolves Hurricanes Chiefs Western Force Southern Kings Bulls Lions Highlanders Sharks Crusaders Chiefs Chiefs Highlanders Lions |
Christchurch Canberra Tokyo Hamilton Sydney Durban Port Elizabeth Dunedin Melbourne Buenos Aires Wellington Sydney Singapore Bloemfontein Johannesburg Christchurch Brisbane Hamilton Perth Johannesburg Durban Pretoria Wellington Sydney Port Elizabeth Auckland Canberra Cape Town Pretoria Melbourne Suva Canberra Tokyo Wellington Melbourne Bloemfontein Johannesburg Port Elizabeth Buenos Aires Auckland Brisbane Johannesburg Buenos Aires Christchurch Sydney Perth Pretoria Durban Auckland Brisbane Durban Christchurch Dunedin Canberra Cape Town Bloemfontein Buenos Aires Canberra Wellington Johannesburg Cape Town Wellington Johannesburg Wellington |
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