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Super Rugby 2014

Super Rugby 2014
The 2014 Super Rugby tournament was the 19th season of the international southern hemisphere club competition featuring professional teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The first round was played on 15 February 2014, and Australia’s NSW Waratahs emerged champions after beating New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders 33-32 in a gripping final on 2 August.
Crusaders players George Whitelock, Tyler Bleyendaal, Sam Whitelock, Tom Taylor and Ben Funnell with guides on a hunting trip in South Africa. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Crusaders’ South African hunting trip draws flak

Conservationists have criticised players from New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders Super 15 team for killing wildlife, including a zebra, while touring in South Africa, then posing in photographs with the carcasses.

Coach Todd Blackadder hails Crusaders’ fighting spirit

The Rugby Championship 2014

Australia hope Waratahs’ Super final triumph translates into test success

Last-gasp triumph for champion Waratahs

Bernard Foley kicked a long-range penalty goal in the last minute to clinch the New South Wales Waratahs’ first Super Rugby title against the Canterbury Crusaders in Sydney on Saturday.

The Waratahs celebrate after defeating the Crusaders 33-32 in the Super Rugby final in Sydney. Photo: AP

Form versus pedigree in blockbuster Super 15 final

Form collides head-on with pedigree when the New South Wales Waratahs bid for a first Super Rugby title against seven-time champions Canterbury Crusaders in a blockbuster final at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

Change of venue for Super 15 final delights Crusaders

The New South Wales Waratahs are praying for a change of luck while the Canterbury Crusaders cannot believe their good fortune heading into Saturday's Super Rugby final.

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It’s payback time for Waratahs reject Nemani Nadolo

Nemani Nadolo's thick Australian accent is just one tell-tale sign the New South Wales Waratahs' decision to let the rampaging winger slip through their fingers could come back to haunt them on Saturday.

Giant Fijian Nemani Nadolo playing for BGS APB at the HKFC Tens in 2012. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Waratahs set up Super final showdown with Crusaders

New South Wales Waratahs will play the Canterbury Crusaders in the Super Rugby final after an epic 26-8 win over the ACT Brumbies in Sydney on Saturday.

Sharks to stay safe for semi-final clash with Crusaders

The ACT Brumbies have abandoned his conservative game plan but Jake White's Sharks' side won't when they face the Canterbury Crusaders in their Super Rugby semi-final on Saturday.

Fit-again McCaw ready for tough Sharks encounter

Canterbury Crusaders flanker Richie McCaw has recovered from injury and will start this weekend's Super Rugby semi-final against South Africa's Sharks in Christchurch.

Richie McCaw will be in the No 6 shirt packing down on the side of the Crusaders scrum for the clash against the Sharks. Photo: AP

Veterans to lead charge for Crusaders in semi-final

Cold southwesterly winds are bringing snow to Christchurch but stalwarts Richie McCaw and Dan Carter are jumping around like spring lambs as the Canterbury Crusaders prepare for their Super Rugby semi-final against the Coastal Sharks.

Kyle Cooper of the Sharks scores despite the attention of Crusaders' scrum-half Andy Ellis during their clash in May. The Crusaders turned in a poor performance on that occasion, but expect to turn the tide in their Super 15 semi-final. Photo: AFP

Brumbies dig deep to end Chiefs’ two-year Super Rugby reign

Australia's ACT Brumbies ended the Waikato Chiefs' two-year domination of Super Rugby with an epic 32-30 play-off win in Canberra on Saturday.

Brumbies will ‘go to the moon’ for Super 15 glory

The ACT Brumbies have little to fear from the prospect of another arduous journey to the Super Rugby final, having racked up thousands of miles reaching the title decider a year ago, according to winger Joe Tomane.

Sharks to play Highlanders, Brumbies face Chiefs

The Coastal Sharks will host the Otago Highlanders and the ACT Brumbies will have home advantage against defending champions Waikato Chiefs in this weekend’s opening round of the Super Rugby play-offs.

Wallaby Matt Toomua, shown here leading the charge for Australia against France in June, scored a hat-trick of tries for the Brumbies against Western Force on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Super Rugby finals and standings 2014

See the full final standings after the close of 2014 regular season play in Super Rugby, as well as fixture and results from the Super Rugby play-offs.

Malakai Fekitoa of the Highlanders is tackled by the Waratahs' Adam Ashley-Cooper during their Super Rugby match in Sydney on 6 July. Photo: AP

Player drain is threat to Aussie competitiveness

The Wallabies' emphatic 3-0 series win over France last month might convey the impression all is rosy in rugby Down Under, but the game's power brokers fear a quickening player drain could bring the code to its knees.

Crusaders build momentum for Super 15 semis

Flanker Matt Todd scored two tries and Dan Carter kicked 12 points as the Crusaders beat the Highlanders 34-8 to win the New Zealand conference on Saturday and likely seal a home semi-final in the Super Rugby play-offs.

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Champion Chiefs edge Blues to make play-offs

Defending champions Waikato Chiefs scraped into the Super Rugby finals with a tightly fought 11-8 victory over the Auckland Blues at Eden Park on Friday.

All Black Liam Messam scored a vital intercept try for the Chiefs in their clash against the Blues. Photo: Reuters

All Blacks’ star scrum-half Piri Weepu signs for London Welsh

World Cup-winning All Blacks scrum-half Piri Weepu signed for English Premiership side London Welsh on Friday in a move destined to end his international career.

Israel Folau kept in cotton wool for semi-finals

New South Wales Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said he would not risk star Wallaby fullback Israel Folau in their final regulation round Super Rugby match with Queensland this weekend.

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Waratahs top but play-off picture still fuzzy

New South Wales Waratahs looked every inch champions-elect as they locked up top spot in the Super Rugby standings on Sunday, but the play-off picture beneath them was not much clearer after the penultimate week of the regular season.

Waratahs' Wycliff Palu scores a try as he is tackled by Highlanders' Elliot Dixon during their Super 15 match in Sydney. Photo: AP

Fijian flier helps seal victory for Crusaders

The Canterbury Crusaders secured their 13th consecutive Super Rugby play-offs berth when a dash of Nemani Nadolo brilliance sealed a 21-13 victory over the Auckland Blues at AMI Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

Tom English of Melbourne Rebels slips a tackle from Lions fly-half Marnitz Boshoff as lock Franco Mostert closes in. The Lions won 34-17. Photo: AFP

Cruden keeps Chiefs’ title defence alive

Aaron Cruden kicked 14 points and won a contest with fellow All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett as the Chiefs beat the Hurricanes 24-16 on Friday to keep alive the defence of their Super Rugby title.

Waratahs must keep tabs on Ben Smith to have a chance: Israel Folau

The New South Wales Waratahs will need to keep "level heads" and reduce the influence of All Blacks fullback Ben Smith if they are to prevail over the Otago Highlanders in their crunch Super Rugby match on Sunday, according to Israel Folau.

Blade Thompson double lifts Hurricanes past Crusaders

Two tries from Blade Thompson carried the Hurricanes to an upset 16-9 victory in a crucial Super Rugby derby clash in Wellington on Saturday.

The Waratahs’ Alofa Alofa dives over to score a try in their 39-8 Super Rugby triumph over the Brumbies in Sydney. Photo: AP

Highlanders dash Chiefs’ play-off hopes

The Chiefs' two-year reign as Super Rugby champions was likely finished on Friday after they were beaten 29-25 by the Highlanders, who stayed on track for their first play-off place in 12 years.

New All Blacks centre Malakai Fekitoa was a key component in Ben Smith’s second-half try which turned the game in the Highlanders’ favour. Photo: AFP

Strong rivals poised to topple Sharks

The Coastal Sharks face being toppled as Super Rugby leaders this weekend with the New South Wales Waratahs and Canterbury Crusaders both having a golden opportunity to overtake them.

Broken rib? No problem for skipper McCaw

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw played with a broken rib for part of the series against England to help the All Blacks sweep the tourists 3-0, coach Steve Hansen said on Wednesday.

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