Draw and Fixtures for the 2013 Super Rugby Tournament. Kick off times for the following timezones have been included: Greenwich Mean Time, New Zealand time, New South Wales and ACT Australia times, South Africa time and United Kingdom. The first Super Rugby fixture list below is for the local time in which the game kicks off.

This year Super Rugby continues the conference system and lengthened season, and also allows for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. Note that the Australian Super Rugby teams, except the Waratahs, start a week earlier than everyone else.

The tournament breaks …

The Reds were unable to defend their Super Rugby title in 2012, but the men from Queensland can take plenty of positives from their most recent campaign.

A third-placed finish saw them advance to the qualifying semi finals, and it was there that the journey ended, with defeat to an in-form Sharks outfit spelling the end of their hopes of another Grand Final appearance.

But it is the third consecutive season that the Reds have competed at the very top of the Super Rugby competition and that is an amazing level of consistency in a league as competitive as this.…

After two local derbys in the semi-finals on the weekend, the protagonists for the 2012 Super XV final have been found, with the Sharks adding to their extensive collection of Frequent Flyer points as they head to Hamilton to meet the Chiefs.

While the Chiefs had won the New Zealand conference and had the home-ground advantage they found themselves listed as underdogs when they hosted the Crusaders in semi-final number one, the Cantabrian’s reputation as play-off specialists obviously preceding them.

Indeed, it was a reputation the Red & Blacks failed to live up to, producing an uninspiring, error-laden performance to …

As the Crusaders, um, crusaded through to the semi-finals of the 2012 Super Rugby competition last weekend against the Bulls they looked very much like title contenders.

After grinding out a win on the back of some confusing refereeing decisions against the Chiefs two weeks earlier, and having the lowly Force in their last competition round, it wasn’t clear whether the seven time champs did have a genuine shot at the title. But the Bulls game showed the big red machine is in full post-season swing.
What was particularly interesting was that the physical game plan they knew they would …

Super Rugby always takes on a brutal edge as the playoffs loom, and 2012 is no different. Nine sides are technically still vying for a playoff spot and none will be going down without a fight. Epic clashes this weekend includes the Chiefs v Crusaders opener and Sharks v Bulls. However, Reds v Highlanders and Brumbies v Waratahs are all sure to have venom.

The Crusaders will be a wounded beast after last week’s shock loss to the Hurricanes and on the cusp of missing out on the playoffs altogether. The Chiefs, having secured the top NZ spot but wanting …