Super Rugby Finals: Results
In the beginning, there were 10, and then TV-fuelled inflation set in - 12, 14, 15 and then 18 with conferences.
It is back down to 15 ... still with conferences.
When it started, there was interest and then came Super 12, which many regard as the best. But more television matches were needed which meant more teams, and eventually it expanded beyond Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to include Argentina and Japan, under the pretext of spreading the game, even though the Sunwolves had many foreigners and the Jaguares showed little real interest - till 2018, that is.
The idea of the World Cup worried some countries initially, fearing that the World Cup would dominate rugby, as it has, turning Tests into trials and match practices in preparation for the World Cup.
The same fear was more and more expressed as Super Rugby swelled, especially after the big money deals that followed the 1995 World Cup. There were fears of the effect that it would have on club rugby, as has happened.
South Africa has suffered most. Not only has club rugby shrunk and in some areas ceased to exist, but the Currie Cup, an ancient and revered competition, has now been battered and its lustre diminished.
But not only the Currie Cup has diminished but so has interest in the repetitive rugby of Super Rugby so that crowds have shrunk even at great grounds such as Newlands, Loftus Versfeld and Kings Park. It is a serious enough concern that the suggestion of abandoning Super Rugby for competition in more travel-friendly Europe, a place for elite teams with more time for clubs and the Currie Cup has been gaining popularity.
But we digress from the finals of the last 26 years.
In 1993, the 10 teams were divided into two sections and the winners of each section played in the Final - Auckland, who had 13 All Blacks in their side, and Transvaal.
(NB Names changed with time, most with the dropping of place names. Auckland is now the Blues, Transvaal the Lions, Natal the Sharks, Otago the Highlanders, Queensland the Reds, New South Wales the Waratahs, Waikato the Chiefs and Northern Transvaal the Bulls.)
The first final was played at Ellis Park on 22 May 1993. The Super 10 lasted just over a month - from 3 April to 22 May. This year the Super 18 went from 17 February to 4 August, just under six months without allowing for warm-up matches.
In that first final, Transvaal scored three tries to two and won 20-17.
Scorers:
For Transvaal:
Tries: Schmidt 2, Pienaar
Con: Van Rensburg
Pen: Van Rensburg
For Auckland:
Tries: Tuigamala, Stensness
Cons: Fox 2
Pen: Fox
Teams
Transvaal: Theo van Rensburg, Pieter Hendriks, Bernard Fourie, Japie Mulder, Chris Dirks, Hennie le Roux, Johann Roux, Deon Lötter, Francois Pienaar (captain), Ian Macdonald, Kobus Wiese, Hannes Strydom, Johan le Roux, Uli Schmidt, Balie Swart
Auckland: Shane Howarth, Terry Wright, Eroni Clarke, Lee Stensness, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Grant Fox, Nu'uali'itia, Michael Jones, Brendan Jackson (replaced by Zinzan Brooke), Mark Carter, Robin Brooke, Richard Fromont, Olo Brown, Sean Fitzpatrick (captain), Craig Dowd
Final Results Down the Years
Super 10
1993: Transvaal vs Auckland, 20-17 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
1994: Queensland vs Natal, 21-10 at Ballymore, Brisbane
1995: Queensland vs Transvaal, 30-16 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Super 12
1996: Auckland vs Natal, 45-21 at Eden Park, Auckland
1997: Auckland Blues vs ACT Brumbies, 23-7 at Eden Park, Auckland
1998: Canterbury Crusaders vs Auckland Blues, 20-13 at Eden Park, Auckland
1999: Canterbury Crusaders vs Otago Highlanders, 24-19 at Carisbrook, Dunedin
2000: Crusaders vs Brumbies, 20-19 at Bruce Stadium, Canberra
2001: Brumbies vs Sharks, 30-6 at Bruce Stadium, Canberra
2002: Crusaders vs Brumbies, 31-13 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch
2003: Blues vs Crusaders, 21-17 at Eden Park, Auckland
2004: Brumbies vs Crusaders, 47-38 at Canberra Stadium
2005: Crusaders vs Waratahs, 35-25 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch
Super 14
2006: Crusaders vs Hurricanes, 19-12 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch
2007: Bulls vs Sharks, 20-19 at Kings Park, Durban
2008: Crusaders vs Waratahs, 20-12 at AMI Stadium, Christchurch
2009: Bulls vs Chiefs, 61-17 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
2010: Bulls vs Stormers, 25-17 at Orlando Stadium, Soweto
Super 15
2011: Reds vs Crusaders, 18-13 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
2012: Chiefs vs Sharks, 37-6 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
2013: Brumbies vs Chiefs, 22-27 at Waikato Stadium
2014: Waratahs vs Crusaders, 33-32 at ANZ Stadium, Sydney
2015: Highlanders vs Hurricanes, 21-14 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Super 18
2016: Hurricanes vs Lions, 20-3 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington
2017: Crusaders vs Lions, 25-17 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg
2018: Crusaders vs Lions at AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Victories
8 - Crusaders
3 - Blues, Bulls, Reds
2 - Brumbies, Chiefs,
1 - Waratahs, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Lions
Runners-up
5 - Sharks
4 - Crusaders
3 - Chiefs, Brumbies, Lions
2 - Hurricanes, Waratahs
2 - Blues
1 - Highlanders, Stormers
By Paul Dobson
@rugby365com