2020 Super Rugby AU season explained
The 2020 Super Rugby AU season (branded as Vodafone Super Rugby AU for sponsorship reasons) was a professional club rugby union tournament organised by Rugby Australia. Sponsored by communications company Vodafone, the tournament replaced the Australian component of the incomplete 2020 Super Rugby season that was shut down in March of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured the four teams from the 2020 Australian conference, with the addition of former Super Rugby franchise the Western Force.[1]
The tournament was the inaugural season of Super Rugby AU and ran from 3 July to 19 September 2020.
Law adaptions
On 12 June, Rugby Australia announced seven law trials designed to make the game more entertaining for the fans and players.[2] The trials were adapted from the 10 optional law trials available for unions and competitions given by World Rugby in May 2020.[3] The following trials will be used during the competition:
| Law trials | Scenario |
|---|
| Goal line drop-out | When an attacking player carrying the ball is held up in the in-goal or knocks the ball on play restarts with a goal line drop-out. |
|---|
| When a kick enters the in-goal area and is forced by the defending team play restarts with a goal line drop-out |
| Mark | A kick originating in the attacking 22m area cannot be marked by the defending team within their own 22m area. The kick can however be marked within the defending team's in-goal area and play restarts with a 22m line drop-out. |
|---|
| Red card change | A red carded player can be replaced after 20 minutes, unless all substitutions have been used. |
|---|
| 50/22 | A kick taken from within the defending team's 50m area that travels into touch within the opposition's 22m area having first bounced in the field of play results in a line-out throw to the kicking team. This does not apply following a free-kick. |
|---|
| 22/50 | A kick taken from within the defending team's 22m area that travels into touch within the opposition's 50m area having first bounced in the field of play results in a line-out throw to the kicking team. This does not apply following a free-kick. |
|---|
| Super Time | 2 x 5min periods of extra time; in the event of a drawn game after regulation time where the first points scored wins the match for the scoring team | |
|---|
Matches
Final
Squads
Notes
- Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria, the Rebels moved this home fixture from AAMI Park to Brookvale Oval, New South Wales, in order to respect the regulations imposed by the Queensland Government.[11]
- Due to tight border restrictions, the Western Force moved their rounds 4 & 5 home matches from HBF Park to Leichhardt Oval, New South Wales.[12]
- Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria, the Rebels moved their rounds 6 & 9 home fixtures from AAMI Park to Leichhardt Oval, New South Wales.[12] [13]
- Due to tight border restrictions, the Western Force moved their rounds 7 & 8 home matches from HBF Park to Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Queensland.[14]
- Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria, the Rebels moved their round 10 home fixture from AAMI Park to McDonald Jones Stadium, New South Wales.[15]
- Total attendance and average attendance figures include a match without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and a round 2 match in which an attendance figure was not reported.
Notes and References
- Web site: Suncorp Stadium derby to open Super Rugby AU competition. 2020-12-27. www.rugby.com.au. en.
- Web site: 2020-06-12. Super Rugby AU to introduce a host of law trials. 2020-06-13. Rugby Australia. en.
- Web site: 2020-05-28. World Rugby creates access to optional domestic law trials to further reduce COVID-19 risk. 2020-06-13. World Rugby. en.
- Web site: Doran . Christy . Slick Lolesio leads Brumbies to historic Super Rugby AU title over injury-hit Queensland Reds . https://web.archive.org/web/20200920075907/https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2020/09/19/super-rugby-au-2020-final-brumbies-queensland-reds-live-match-report . 20 September 2020 . 20 September 2020.
- Plus500 Brumbies Finalise 2020 Super Rugby Squad . Brumbies . 4 November 2019 . 4 November 2019.
- Melbourne Rebels unveil full 2020 playing squad . Melbourne Rebels . 22 November 2019 . 22 November 2019.
- St. George Queensland Reds confirm 2020 squad . Queensland Reds . 28 August 2019 . 28 August 2019.
- Web site: NSW Waratahs Squad . NSW Waratahs . 6 January 2020.
- NSW Waratahs add more names to their Elite Development Squad . NSW Waratahs . 11 December 2019 . 11 December 2019.
- Web site: Community colours . Western Force . https://web.archive.org/web/20200306191307/https://www.westernforce.com.au/community-colours/ . 6 March 2020 . 14 February 2020.
- News: 2020-07-05. Super Rugby Returns to Brookvale Oval. en-AUS. Melbourne Rebels. 2020-07-22.
- News: 2020-07-19. Rugby returns to Leichhardt Oval as Fox ratings plateau. en-AUS. Sydney Morning Herald. 2020-07-22.
- News: Rebels Confirm Waratahs Blockbuster for Leichhardt Oval. Melbourne Rebels. 18 August 2020. 18 August 2020.
- News: Western Force fixture update. Western Force. 5 August 2020. 14 August 2020.
- News: 'Super Saturday' to complete Super Rugby AU regular season. Rugby.com.au. 19 August 2020. 19 August 2020.
