2016 Super Rugby season

The 2016 Super Rugby season was the 21st season of Super Rugby and the first season featuring an expanded 18-team format. It was also the first season that teams outside Australia, New Zealand and South Africa featured, with the Jaguares from Argentina and the Sunwolves from Japan taking part. This season also saw the return of the Kings, who competed just once before, in the 2013 Super Rugby season.[1] The round-robin games took place every weekend from 26 February to 16 July 2016 (with a break for international matches during June), followed by the finals series at the end of July and culminating in the final on 6 August.

2016 Super Rugby season
CountriesArgentina (1 team)
Australia (5 teams)
Japan (1 team)
New Zealand (5 teams)
South Africa (6 teams)
Tournament format(s)Round-robin and knockout
ChampionsHurricanes (1st title)
Matches played142
Tries scored910 (6.41 per match)
Top point scorer(s)Beauden Barrett (223)
Top try scorer(s)Israel Folau (11)
Official websiteOfficial site
← 2015 (Previous) (Next) 2017 →

The Hurricanes won their first championship after repeating their efforts of 2015 by finishing first in the regular season and hosting the final at Westpac Stadium, but this time they won, beating the Lions 20–3. Unlike 2015, where the Hurricanes looked likely to finish the regular season first with a number of rounds to go, they were sitting in seventh going into the final week of the regular season and while guaranteed a play-off spot, they required a number of upset results to elevate them to first. In particular the Lions losing to the Jaguares and scoring no match points after sending an under-strength side to Argentina, thereby losing their chance to host the final.

Competition format

The 18 teams were grouped geographically in two regional groups, each consisting of two conferences: the Australasian Group, with five teams in the Australian Conference and five teams in the New Zealand Conference and the South African Group, with six South African teams, one Argentinean team and one Japanese team split into a four-team Africa 1 Conference and a four-team Africa 2 Conference.[2]

In the group stages, there were 17 rounds of matches, where each team played 15 matches and had two rounds of byes for a total of 135 matches.

Teams played six intra-conference matches; in the four-team African Conferences, each team played the other three teams in their conference at home and away, while in the five-team Australasian Conferences, each team played two teams home and away and once against the other two teams (one at home and one away). The other nine matches were a single round of matches against each team in the other conference in their group, as well as against each team from one of the conferences in the other group. For 2016, the teams in Africa 1 played the teams in the Australian Conference, while the teams in Africa 2 played the teams in the New Zealand Conference.

The top team in each of the four conferences automatically qualified to the Quarter Finals. The next top three teams in the Australasian Group and the next top team in the South African group also qualified to the Quarter Finals as wildcards. The conference winners were seeded #1 to #4 for the Quarter Finals, in order of log points gained during the group stages, while the wildcards were seeded as #5 to #8 in order of log points gained during the group stages.

In the Quarter Finals, the conference winners hosted the first round of the finals, with the highest-seeded conference winner hosting the fourth-seeded wildcard entry, the second-seeded conference winner hosting the third-seeded wildcard entry, the third-seeded conference winner hosting the second-seeded wildcard entry and the fourth-seeded conference winner hosting the top-seed wildcard entry.

The Quarter Final winners progressed to the Semi-Finals, where the highest seed to reach the Semi-Finals hosted the lowest seed and the second-seeded semi-finalist hosted the third-seeded team.

The winners of the Semi-Finals progressed to the Final, at the venue of the highest-seeded team.

Standings

The final standings for the 2016 Super Rugby season are:[3][4]

2016 Super Rugby standings
Australasian Group
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Hurricanes151104458314+14461377253
2 Brumbies151005425326+9956403043
3 Highlanders151104422273+14950284452
4 Chiefs151104491341+15068396151
5 Crusaders151104487317+17065405150
6 Waratahs15807413317+9655374440
7 Blues15816374380−645472339
8 Rebels15708365486−12146652131
9 Reds153111290458−16833570317
10 Western Force152013260441−18125600513
South African Group
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Lions151104535349+18671427152
2 Stormers151014440274+16649285451
3 Sharks15915360269+9140302343
4 Bulls15915399339+6047374042
5 Jaguares154011376427−5144511522
6 Cheetahs154011377425−4847481421
7 Southern Kings152013282684−4023495109
8 Sunwolves151113293627−3343388039

Matches
Main article: List of 2016 Super Rugby matches

The fixtures for the 2016 Super Rugby competition were released on 28 September 2015:[6] The following matches were played during the regular season:

Team Progression – Australasian Group
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 QF SF Final
Hurricanes 0
(10th)		 1
(9th)		 5
(9th)		 10
(6th)		 15
(4th)		 15
(6th)		 20
(5th)		 25
(4th)		 26
(4th)		 31
(4th)		 31
(5th)		 36
(5th)		 36
(5th)		 40
(4th)		 44
(4th)		 48
(5th)		 53
(1st)		 Won Won Won
Brumbies 5
(1st)		 9
(1st)		 13
(1st)		 13
(2nd)		 17
(2nd)		 17
(2nd)		 17
(2nd)		 21
(2nd)		 21
(6th)		 21
(6th)		 25
(2nd)		 29
(6th)		 29
(6th)		 34
(2nd)		 39
(2nd)		 39
(2nd)		 43
(2nd)		 Lost N/A N/A
Highlanders 1
(6th)		 5
(6th)		 9
(3rd)		 13
(3rd)		 18
(3rd)		 22
(3rd)		 23
(3rd)		 23
(5th)		 24
(5th)		 28
(5th)		 32
(4th)		 37
(4th)		 37
(4th)		 38
(5th)		 43
(5th)		 48
(4th)		 52
(3rd)		 Won Lost N/A
Chiefs 4
(2nd)		 5
(5th)		 10
(2nd)		 14
(1st)		 19
(1st)		 24
(1st)		 29
(1st)		 29
(1st)		 33
(1st)		 37
(1st)		 37
(3rd)		 37
(3rd)		 42
(1st)		 42
(3rd)		 46
(1st)		 51
(1st)		 51
(4th)		 Won Lost N/A
Crusaders 1
(7th)		 5
(2nd)		 5
(5th)		 10
(5th)		 14
(5th)		 18
(4th)		 22
(4th)		 27
(3rd)		 32
(3rd)		 32
(3rd)		 37
(1st)		 37
(1st)		 41
(3rd)		 45
(1st)		 45
(3rd)		 50
(3rd)		 50
(5th)		 Lost N/A N/A
Waratahs 5
(3rd)		 5
(4th)		 5
(6th)		 6
(8th)		 10
(7th)		 11
(7th)		 11
(8th)		 12
(8th)		 17
(7th)		 21
(7th)		 25
(6th)		 30
(2nd)		 30
(2nd)		 34
(6th)		 39
(6th)		 39
(6th)		 40
(6th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Blues 4
(5th)		 4
(7th)		 5
(8th)		 7
(7th)		 7
(8th)		 11
(8th)		 12
(7th)		 16
(7th)		 16
(8th)		 20
(8th)		 25
(7th)		 25
(7th)		 29
(7th)		 30
(7th)		 30
(7th)		 35
(7th)		 39
(7th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Rebels 4
(4th)		 4
(8th)		 8
(4th)		 13
(4th)		 13
(6th)		 17
(5th)		 17
(6th)		 17
(6th)		 22
(2nd)		 23
(2nd)		 23
(8th)		 23
(8th)		 23
(8th)		 27
(8th)		 27
(8th)		 27
(8th)		 31
(8th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Reds 0
(9th)		 0
(10th)		 1
(10th)		 3
(10th)		 4
(10th)		 4
(10th)		 8
(9th)		 8
(9th)		 8
(9th)		 12
(9th)		 12
(9th)		 12
(9th)		 16
(9th)		 16
(9th)		 16
(9th)		 16
(9th)		 17
(9th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Force 1
(8th)		 5
(3rd)		 5
(7th)		 5
(9th)		 5
(9th)		 5
(9th)		 6
(10th)		 6
(10th)		 6
(10th)		 6
(10th)		 10
(10th)		 10
(10th)		 11
(10th)		 12
(10th)		 13
(10th)		 13
(10th)		 13
(10th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Team Progression – South African Group
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 QF SF Final
Lions 5
(3rd)		 9
(3rd)		 9
(3rd)		 13
(3rd)		 13
(3rd)		 14
(3rd)		 18
(2nd)		 22
(2nd)		 27
(2nd)		 27
(2nd)		 27
(2nd)		 32
(1st)		 37
(1st)		 42
(1st)		 47
(1st)		 52
(1st)		 52
(1st)		 Won Won Lost
Stormers 5
(2nd)		 9
(2nd)		 10
(2nd)		 14
(2nd)		 18
(1st)		 18
(1st)		 23
(1st)		 24
(1st)		 28
(1st)		 29
(1st)		 29
(1st)		 31
(2nd)		 32
(4th)		 36
(2nd)		 41
(2nd)		 46
(2nd)		 51
(2nd)		 Lost N/A N/A
Sharks 5
(1st)		 9
(1st)		 13
(1st)		 15
(1st)		 16
(2nd)		 16
(2nd)		 16
(4th)		 17
(4th)		 21
(4th)		 22
(4th)		 26
(4th)		 30
(3rd)		 35
(3rd)		 35
(3rd)		 35
(3rd)		 39
(3rd)		 43
(3rd)		 Lost N/A N/A
Bulls 0
(7th)		 4
(5th)		 4
(6th)		 6
(4th)		 10
(4th)		 14
(4th)		 19
(3rd)		 23
(3rd)		 23
(3rd)		 28
(3rd)		 28
(3rd)		 28
(4th)		 32
(2nd)		 32
(4th)		 32
(4th)		 37
(4th)		 42
(4th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Jaguares 4
(4th)		 5
(4th)		 5
(4th)		 6
(5th)		 7
(5th)		 7
(5th)		 7
(5th)		 7
(6th)		 7
(6th)		 12
(6th)		 12
(6th)		 13
(6th)		 13
(6th)		 14
(6th)		 18
(6th)		 18
(6th)		 22
(5th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Cheetahs 1
(5th)		 1
(6th)		 5
(5th)		 5
(6th)		 6
(6th)		 7
(6th)		 7
(6th)		 12
(5th)		 12
(5th)		 12
(5th)		 12
(5th)		 16
(5th)		 16
(5th)		 17
(5th)		 21
(5th)		 21
(5th)		 21
(6th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Kings 0
(8th)		 0
(8th)		 0
(8th)		 0
(8th)		 0
(8th)		 4
(7th)		 4
(7th)		 4
(7th)		 4
(8th)		 4
(8th)		 4
(8th)		 4
(8th)		 4
(8th)		 9
(7th)		 9
(7th)		 9
(7th)		 9
(7th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Sunwolves 0
(6th)		 0
(7th)		 1
(7th)		 1
(7th)		 2
(7th)		 3
(8th)		 3
(8th)		 3
(8th)		 7
(7th)		 7
(7th)		 7
(7th)		 9
(7th)		 9
(7th)		 9
(8th)		 9
(8th)		 9
(8th)		 9
(8th)		 N/A N/A N/A
Key: win draw loss bye

Finals

The four conference winners advanced to the Quarter Finals, where they had home advantage against four wildcard teams, which consisted of the third to fifth-ranked teams in the Australasian Group and the third-ranked team in the South African Group.

The final seedings of these teams were:[3][7]

Conference leaders
Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Hurricanes151104458314+14461377253
2 Lions151104535349+18671427152
3 Stormers151014440274+16649285451
4 Brumbies151005425326+9956403043
Wildcard teams
5 Highlanders151104422273+14950284452
6 Chiefs151104491341+15068396151
7 Crusaders151104487317+17065405150
8 Sharks15915360269+9140302343

The play-off fixtures were as follows:

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
23 July – Wellington
 
 
Hurricanes41
 
30 July – Wellington
 
Sharks0
 
Hurricanes25
 
23 July – Cape Town
 
Chiefs9
 
Stormers21
 
6 August – Wellington
 
Chiefs60
 
Hurricanes20
 
23 July – Johannesburg
 
Lions3
 
Lions42
 
30 July – Johannesburg
 
Crusaders25
 
Lions42
 
22 July – Canberra
 
Highlanders30
 
Brumbies9
 
 
Highlanders15
 

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final
Main article: 2016 Super Rugby Final

Players

Squads

The following squads were named for the 2016 Super Rugby season:

Player statistics

The top ten points scorers during the 2016 Super Rugby season are:[26]

Top Ten points scorers
No Player Team T C P DG Pts
1Beauden BarrettHurricanes950251223
2Damian McKenzieChiefs1043210199
3Elton JantjiesLions344272190
4Lima SopoagaHighlanders534292186
5Richie Mo'ungaCrusaders541240179
6Christian LealiifanoBrumbies341220163
7Nicolás Sánchez Jaguares224271142
8Ihaia WestBlues419240130
9Jean-Luc du PlessisStormers226220128
10Jack DebreczeniRebels225200120
Bernard FoleyWaratahs135150120

Referees

The following refereeing panel was appointed by SANZAAR for the 2016 Super Rugby season:

Attendances
TeamMain StadiumCapacityTotal AttendanceAverage Attendance% Capacity
BluesEden Park50,000125,46515,68333%
ChiefsWaikato Stadium25,800
HurricanesWestpac Stadium34,500180,49018,04955%
CrusadersRugby League Park18,000
HighlandersForsyth Barr Stadium30,728
RedsSuncorp Stadium52,500132,84316,60531%
BrumbiesCanberra Stadium25,011109,21712,13548%
WaratahsSydney Football Stadium44,000162,58020,32246%
Melbourne RebelsAAMI Park29,50073,55710,50835%
Forcenib Stadium20,500
SharksABSA Stadium52,000
BullsLoftus Versfeld51,792
LionsEllis Park62,567
Southern KingsNelson Mandela Bay Stadium48,00049,6586,20712%
CheetahsFree State Stadium46,000
StormersNewlands Stadium51,900
JaguaresJosé Amalfitani Stadium49,64089,85712,83625%
SunwolvesPrince Chichibu Memorial Stadium27,188111,75813,96937%
gollark: Standalone kind signatures.
gollark: Oh, cofunctors, those are great.
gollark: Category polymorphic functors?
gollark: Nonlinear optics!
gollark: Selective applicative functors!

References
  1. "Japan given the nod for Super Rugby". SANZAAR. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  2. "Outline of the Super Rugby competition structure" (PDF). All Blacks. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  3. "SA Rugby Log – 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  4. "Super Rugby - Official SANZAR Site". SANZAR. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  5. "Team with "Most Wins" will finish higher in Super Rugby". SANZAR. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  6. "Draw released for new era of Super Rugby" (Press release). SANZAAR. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  7. "Super Rugby – Official SANZAAR Site". SANZAAR. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  8. "QF1: Brumbies 9 Highlanders 15". SANZAAR. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  9. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Brumbies 9-15 Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  10. @BrumbiesRugby (23 July 2016). "Thanks to the Official Crowd of 8559 who braved the conditions at GIO Stadium tonight! #BRUvHIG" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 July 2016 – via Twitter.
  11. "QF2: Hurricanes 41 Sharks 0". SANZAAR. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  12. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 41-0 Cell C Sharks". South African Rugby Union. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  13. https://www.westpacstadium.co.nz/fileadmin/Documents/Annual_Reports/WRSTAR17.pdf
  14. "QF3: Lions 45 Crusaders 25". SANZAAR. 24 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  15. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Emirates Lions 42-25 Crusaders". South African Rugby Union. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  16. "QF4: Stormers 21 Chiefs 60". SANZAAR. 24 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  17. "SA Rugby Match Centre – DHL Stormers 21-60 Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  18. https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/stormers-crash-out-as-chiefs-soar-20160723
  19. "SF1: Hurricanes 25 Chiefs 9". SANZAAR. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  20. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 25-9 Chiefs". South African Rugby Union. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  21. https://www.westpacstadium.co.nz/fileadmin/Documents/Annual_Reports/WRSTAR17.pdf
  22. "SF2: Lions 42 Highlanders 30". SANZAAR. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  23. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Emirates Lions 42-30 Highlanders". South African Rugby Union. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  24. "SA Rugby Match Centre – Hurricanes 20-3 Emirates Lions". South African Rugby Union. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  25. https://www.westpacstadium.co.nz/fileadmin/Documents/Annual_Reports/WRSTAR17.pdf
  26. "SA Rugby Top Scorers – 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby". South African Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
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