Rugby - Super Rugby

The leading rugby competition in the southern hemisphere below national team level currently involves 10 franchises from Australia and New Zealand, plus a pair of teams derived from the smaller Pacific islands in Oceania.
The competition has seen many changes of teams and structures. The current competitors are highlighted below. 
From 1996 up to and including 2005 the tournament was known as Super 12 (involving 12 teams). The Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies from Australia; the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders of New Zealand; the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Cats hailing from South Africa. In 2006, the addition of the Force (Aus) and the splitting of the Cats into the Lions and the Cheetahs produced 14 teams from 2006-2010.  From 2011, the Melbourne Rebels (Aus) were added to transform the competition into the Super 15.
In 2016, an Argentine team (Los Jaguares), a Japan-based side (Sunwolves) and a sixth South African outfit (Southern Kings) were added to make it 18 teams.
In 2018 and 2019, Force, Cheetahs and Kings were excluded from the event as it reverted to 15 sides. Sunwolves and Jaguares left after 2019.
Travel restrictions associated with the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic forced three separate events to be staged that year. All the South Africa teams left after 2020 to join the United Rugby Championship in Europe. In 2021, once again, three events were held. 
In 2022, the Fijian Drua & Moana Pasifica joined to make it a 12-team tournament again.The final is held at the home ground of the team that finished best in the regular season.

YEAR
WINNERS
RUNNERS-UP
1996
BLUES (Nzl)
Sharks (RSA)
1997
BLUES (Nzl)
Brumbies (Aus)
1998
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
Blues (Nzl)
1999
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
H'landers (Nzl)
2000
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
Brumbies (Aus)
2001
BRUMBIES (Aus)
Sharks (RSA)
2002
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
Brumbies (Aus)
2003
BLUES (Nzl)
Crusaders (Nzl)
2004
BRUMBIES (Aus)
Crusaders (Nzl)
2005
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
Waratahs (Aus)
2006
CRUSADERS (Nzl) 
Hurricanes (Nzl)
2007
BULLS (RSA)
Sharks (RSA)
2008
CRUSADERS (Nzl)
Waratahs (Aus)
2009
BULLS (RSA)
Chiefs (Nzl)
2010
BULLS (RSA)
Stormers (RSA)
2011 REDS (Aus)
Crusaders (Nzl)
2012 CHIEFS (Nzl) Sharks (RSA)
2013 CHIEFS (Nzl) Brumbies (Aus)
2014 WARATAHS (Aus) Crusaders (Nzl)
2015 HIGHLANDERS (Nzl) Hurricanes (Nzl)
2016 HURRICANES (Nzl) Lions (RSA)
2017 CRUSADERS (Nzl) Lions (RSA)
2018 CRUSADERS (Nzl) Lions (RSA)
2019 CRUSADERS (Nzl) Jaguares (Arg)
2020 Ao CRUSADERS (Nzl) Blues (Nzl)
2020 Au BRUMBIES (Aus) Reds (Aus)
2020 Ul BULLS (RSA) Stormers (RSA)
2021 Ao CRUSADERS (Nzl) Chiefs (Nzl)
2021 Au REDS (Aus) Brumbies (Aus)
2021 Tm BLUES (Nzl) Highlanders (Nzl)
2022 CRUSADERS (Nzl) Blues (Nzl)
2023 CRUSADERS (Nzl) Chiefs (Nzl)
2024 BLUES (Nzl) Chiefs (Nzl)

Ao = Super Rugby Aotearoa (Nzl teams only); Au = Super Rugby AU (Aus teams only); Ul = Super Rugby Unlocked (RSA teams only); Tm = Super Rugby Tasman (Aus/Nzl team only) - all tournaments staged after Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the regular 2020 and 2021 Super Rugby seasons. These do not count as official Super Rugby tournaments in terms of titles won.

Finals at:  
Auckland 1996, 1997, 1998, 2003, 2022, 2024
Dunedin 1999
Canberra 2000, 2001, 2004
Christchurch 2002, 05, 06, 08 (Jade), 18, 19, 23 (St'm)
Durban 2007
Pretoria 2009
Soweto 2010
Brisbane 2011
Hamilton 2012, 2013
Sydney 2014
Wellington 2015, 2016
Jo'burg 2017
2020 Super Rugby AU final was held in Canberra and the 2021 climax in Brisbane. The 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa final was staged in Christchurch. There was no final for Super Rugby Aotearoa or Super Rugby Unlocked in 2020. The 2021 Super Rugby Tasman final was played in Auckland.

Links to other Rugby
National Teams | Club/Provincial