Super Rugby AUS
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 Super Rugby AUS | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2025 |
| First season | 2025 |
| Organising body | Rugby Australia |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Country |  Australia |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Broadcaster(s) | Stan Sport |
| Related competitions | |
| Official website | rugby.com.au |
The Super Rugby AUS is a men's rugby union round-robin competition organised by Rugby Australia (RA). Established in 2025, it is the second-highest level of professional rugby in the country, behind the Super Rugby.
Background
[edit]Australia, unlike its "Tri-Nations" partners New Zealand and South Africa, has never had a consistent national professional rugby union competition below the Super Rugby.
In 2012, Queensland Reds player Luke Morahan called for a national club competition as a means of bridging the gap between the semi-professional competitions in Sydney, Brisbane and the Australian Capital Territory, and the Super Rugby.[1] In 2014, a national professional club competition known as the National Rugby Championship (NRC) was formally established. Nine newly-created clubs played in a round-robin format across eight rounds, finishing with a four-team knockout stage to decide the season winners.[2] The NRC was praised for improving Australia's player depth.[2] However, in 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was disbanded.[3]
In 2023, Western Force CEO Tony Lewis told The Sydney Morning Herald that an Australian third-tier competition was a necessity, stating: "All the Super coaches [in Australia] who participated in that third-tier comp [the NRC] that was running before COVID... all waxed lyrical about how good a competition it was and the number of coaches that come through it, and the number of S+C coaches [strength and conditioning], the number of analysts, the number of players. So it's just not about players, it's about coaches, about analysts, about physios. If you're not preparing them for the next level, the jump is horrendous. The first time you do economics, they do needs and wants."[4]
It was speculated in October 2024 by Australian sports news-website The Roar that the competition would not be like its predecessors with newly-created teams across the country, but instead involve the four Australian Super Rugby teams (ACT Brumbies, New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force),[5] and could possibly involve Japanese teams.[5][6] It was later revealed in late 2024 that a new "third-tier" competition was in the works by Rugby Australia (RA). Announcing a competition could begin as early as 2025, RA CEO Phil Waugh stated to Rugby.com.au, "The biggest gap we've had over the last period of time has been (the) connection between the community game and professional game and how to bridge that gap. I think we're working on that. It's going to take time. There's no doubt that Super Rugby is too short in its current format so how do we fill that gap for those players that aren't in Test Rugby?"[7]
In June 2025, it was confirmed that a national "third-tier" professional competition was launched by Rugby Australia.[8][9] Known as Super Rugby AUS, the competition consists of the four Australian Super Rugby teams: ACT Brumbies, New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force,[9][10] and its first season is scheduled to be played between September and October 2025 across four weeks.[9] The top two teams after three rounds compete in the Grand Final.[9][10]
Teams
[edit]
Champions
[edit]Grand Finals
[edit]| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — |
References
[edit]- ^ Pentony, Luke (22 September 2012). "Players call for national club comp". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012.
- ^ a b Pentony, Luke (29 July 2015). "NRC credited for improving standard of Australian club rugby competitions". ABC News.
- ^ "Sport: NRC cancellation a blow for Fijian Drua rugby team". Radio New Zealand. 4 June 2020.
- ^ Cully, Paul (13 August 2023). "Why new national comp is a 'need, not a want' for Australian rugby". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment.
- ^ a b Doran, Christy (28 October 2024). "Exclusive: Rugby Australia plot new third-tier competition involving Super teams". The Roar.
- ^ Wasiliev, Nick (31 October 2024). "Does Australian rugby FINALLY have its answer to the third-tier question?". The Roar.
- ^ Williamson, Nathan (11 December 2024). "Waugh reveals third-tier competition in pipeline for 2025". Rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 January 2025.
- ^ Pentony, Luke (19 June 2025). "Rugby Australia's new domestic competition must avoid familiar hurdles". ABC News.
- ^ a b c d Wasiliev, Nick (17 June 2025). "Rugby Australia confirms new domestic Super Rugby AUS competition to kick off in September". Rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 July 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Rugby Australia revives 'third tier' competition with Super Rugby AUS". ESPN. 17 June 2025.
