SUPER RUGBY MEDIA GUIDE 2014 MESSAGE FROM THE SANZAR CEO 03 MESSAGE FROM THE SANZAR CEO, GREG PETERS Welcome to another season of Super Rugby! After a memorable year on the international stage, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia finished 2013 firmly entrenched as the IRB’s three top‑ranked countries and we are privileged to have the world’s elite players competing in Super Rugby week in, week out. The 2014 season of elite Southern Hemisphere rugby promises to be another thrilling and competitive campaign as 14 challengers seek to prevent the all-conquering Chiefs from becoming just the second team in history to win three successive titles. We welcome the Lions back into the South African Conference who travel to Bloemfontein for the season-opener against the Cheetahs on February 15; a week earlier than the Australian and New Zealand Conferences due to the Springbok inbound Tests commencing a week earlier in June. Last year some 2.36 million fans came through the turnstiles which is on par with 2012 and more than 60 million viewers tuned in throughout our core territories which represents a 16 per cent increase over the past three years with both figures are well up on the previous Super 14 competition. Off the field, SANZAR continues to work closely with head coaches and our referees to create symmetry and consistency about what we are trying to achieve in the game. The ability to create a game that is “easy to play, referee and watch” is our ultimate aim and we will continue to work on better scrums, quick ball and the ability for teams to create space for the running, attacking rugby we have come to know and love in the Southern Hemisphere. The early stages of 2014 also see some important landmarks as SANZAR works together with its constituent, National Unions, to create a blueprint for the future of Super Rugby. We expect to have some announcements during the year relating to structure, potential expansion to new territories and broadcasting arrangements that will take the competition into a bold new era from 2016. Thanks for your wonderful support and I look forward to another thrilling season of the Southern Hemisphere’s pre-eminent rugby competition! GREG PETERS CEO – SANZAR @GPRUGBYCEO
2014 Super Rugby Media Guide
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