Misplaced Pages

2006 Super 14
Countries	Australia  South Africa  New Zealand
Tournament format(s)	Round-robin and Knockout
Champions	Crusaders (6th title)
Matches played	94
Attendance	2,321,833 (24,700 per match)
Tries scored	447 (4.76 per match)
Top point scorer(s)	Dan Carter (221; Crusaders)
Top try scorer(s)	Lome Fa'atau (10; Hurricanes)
← 2005 (Previous) (Next) 2007 →

The 2006 Super 14 season started on 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on 27 May 2006. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season was the first of the expansion, which saw two new teams, the Western Force and the Cheetahs, join the Super 12/14. The addition of two new teams led to the name change from the Super 12. It was also the first year for a new Super 14 trophy.

The season saw the first joint commercial by the three SANZAR unions since 1996. The commercial was filmed in Ukraine and is set in a laundromat. The ad was attempting to draw interest, with the motto More teams, more games and more excitement at the end of the commercial. One player from each of the 14 teams was present, except for the Waratahs. A local extra named "Ouri" filled the role of Mat Rogers who injured his back in a test match for the Wallabies against Wales.

By the end of round twelve, critics began speculating that the pre-season favourites, the Crusaders, were losing their form after a draw against the winless Western Force and then a shock loss to the Stormers. However they bounced back against the Bulls with a four-try bonus point victory. After a few results fell in their favour they were able to comfortably beat the Brumbies, and finished for the second consecutive season on top of the ladder. The Crusaders won the Super 14 after defeating the Hurricanes in Christchurch in the final, 19–12 in misty conditions. There was 94 matches held over three and a half months, with each team playing one full round robin against the 13 other teams and the playoffs involving two semi-finals and a final. Every team got one bye over the 14 rounds.

Table

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	BP	Pts
1	Crusaders	13	11	1	1	412	210	+202	5	51
2	Hurricanes	13	10	0	3	328	226	+102	7	47
3	Waratahs	13	9	0	4	362	192	+170	9	45
4	Bulls	13	7	1	5	355	290	+65	7	38
5	Sharks	13	7	0	6	361	297	+64	10	38
6	Brumbies	13	8	1	4	326	269	+57	4	38
7	Chiefs	13	7	1	5	325	298	+27	6	36
8	Blues	13	6	0	7	290	344	−54	5	29
9	Highlanders	13	6	0	7	228	276	−48	3	27
10	Cheetahs	13	5	0	8	272	367	−95	7	27
11	Stormers	13	4	1	8	263	334	−71	5	23
12	Reds	13	4	0	9	240	320	−80	6	22
13	Cats	13	2	1	10	220	405	−185	5	15
14	Force	13	1	2	10	223	373	−150	4	12

South African relegation

Originally, the fifth-placed South African side was to be replaced by the Spears, who were initially planned to compete in the 2007 and 2008 competitions. However, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) revisited the decision to admit the Spears, and announced on 19 April 2006 that the Spears would not enter the competition.

On 5 August 2006, the High Court of South Africa threw a potential monkey wrench into the 2007 season when it issued its ruling in the Spears' legal challenge to the decision. It ruled that the Spears had a valid contract with SA Rugby, the commercial arm of SARU, to be included in the 2007 and 2008 Super 14. SA Rugby and SARU are expected to appeal the decision. If the Spears win their court challenge, the Lions, the new name for the Cats, will be relegated for 2007 and will play a test match with the lowest South African team on the 2007 ladder, other than the Spears, for a place in the 2008 competition.

On 8 September 2006, the Golden Lions Rugby Union, the company that operates the Cats franchise, announced that the franchise would be known in the future as the Lions.

Results

Round 1

Blues	19–37	Hurricanes

Western Force	10–25	Brumbies

Cheetahs	18–30	Bulls

Crusaders	38–15	Highlanders

Reds	12–16	Waratahs

Cats	12–23	Stormers

Sharks	30–21	Chiefs

Round 2

Highlanders	25–13	Blues

Cats	21–16	Chiefs

Bulls	21–27	Brumbies

Hurricanes	29–5	Western Force

Reds	21–47	Crusaders

Sharks	26–27	Cheetahs

Stormers	26–32	Waratahs

Round 3

Hurricanes	29–16	Cats

Western Force	9–26	Chiefs

Stormers	15–15	Brumbies

Crusaders	22–20	Sharks

Reds	20–21	Blues

Bulls	26–17	Waratahs

Cheetahs	12–17	Highlanders

Round 4

Chiefs	35–17	Reds

Brumbies	28–7	Cats

Waratahs	31–16	Sharks

Crusaders	39–10	Blues

Stormers	15–30	Highlanders

Cheetahs	27–25	Hurricanes

Round 5

Chiefs	19–25	Crusaders

Waratahs	50–3	Cats

Brumbies	35–30	Sharks

Reds	29–18	Western Force

Bulls	23–16	Highlanders

Stormers	19–23	Hurricanes

Round 6

Crusaders	43–15	Cats

Western Force	7–32	Waratahs

Bulls	23–26	Hurricanes

Blues	26–15	Brumbies

Highlanders	11–26	Sharks

Stormers	25–31	Cheetahs

Round 7

Hurricanes	23–17	Sharks

Waratahs	43–9	Blues

Cheetahs	10–6	Reds

Brumbies	28–26	Chiefs

Highlanders	16–14	Cats

Western Force	21–30	Bulls

Round 8

Blues	30–17	Bulls

Waratahs	26–3	Cheetahs

Western Force	25–26	Stormers

Hurricanes	11–20	Crusaders

Chiefs	16–13	Highlanders

Sharks	36–28	Reds

Round 9

Crusaders	17–11	Waratahs

Highlanders	25–22	Western Force

Chiefs	26–26	Bulls

Blues	32–15	Stormers

Brumbies	53–20	Cheetahs

Cats	16–23	Reds

Round 10

Blues	39–8	Western Force

Crusaders	53–17	Cheetahs

Chiefs	30–20	Stormers

Reds	20–19	Bulls

Cats	8–36	Sharks

Highlanders	13–29	Hurricanes

Waratahs	37–14	Brumbies

Round 11

Chiefs	33–32	Cheetahs

Reds	20–24	Stormers

Western Force	23–23	Crusaders

Brumbies	21–16	Hurricanes

Sharks	32–15	Blues

Bulls	46–17	Cats

Round 12

Highlanders	3–20	Waratahs

Cats	34–34	Western Force

Hurricanes	35–10	Chiefs

Brumbies	36–0	Reds

Cheetahs	33–34	Blues

Bulls	34–27	Sharks

Stormers	28–17	Crusaders

Round 13

Hurricanes	26–22	Reds

Bulls	17–35	Crusaders

Chiefs	37–33	Waratahs

Brumbies	26–28	Highlanders

Cheetahs	14–16	Western Force

Sharks	24–17	Stormers

Cats	34–33	Blues

Round 14

Crusaders	33–3	Brumbies

Reds	22–16	Highlanders

Sharks	41–25	Western Force

Blues	9–30	Chiefs

Waratahs	14–19	Hurricanes

Cheetahs	28–23	Cats

Stormers	10–43	Bulls

Finals

Semi finals

Hurricanes	16–14	NSW Waratahs

Crusaders	35–15	Bulls

Grand final

Crusaders	19–12	Hurricanes
Try: Laulala 62' Con: Carter 63' Pen: Carter (4) 32', 37', 46', 69'		Pen: Weepu 14' Holwell 44' Gopperth (2) 56', 70'

FB 15 Leon MacDonald RW 14 Rico Gear OC 13 Casey Laulala IC 12 Aaron Mauger LW 11 Scott Hamilton FH 10 Dan Carter SH 9 Kevin Senio N8 8 Mose Tuiali'i OF 7 Richie McCaw (c) BF 6 Reuben Thorne RL 5 Ross Filipo LL 4 Chris Jack TP 3 Greg Somerville HK 2 Corey Flynn LP 1 Wyatt Crockett Substitutes: HK 16 Tone Kopelani PR 17 Campbell Johnstone FL 18 Johnny Leo'o FL 19 Tanerau Latimer FH 20 Stephen Brett CE 21 Cameron McIntyre WG 22 Caleb Ralph Coach: Robbie Deans

FB 15 Isaia Toeava RW 14 Lome Fa'atau OC 13 Ma'a Nonu IC 12 Tana Umaga LW 11 Shannon Paku FH 10 David Holwell SH 9 Piri Weepu N8 8 Rodney So'oialo (c) OF 7 Chris Masoe BF 6 Jerry Collins RL 5 Jason Eaton LL 4 Paul Tito TP 3 Neemia Tialata HK 2 Andrew Hore LP 1 John Schwalger Substitutions: HK 16 Luke Mahoney PR 17 Joe McDonnell LK 18 Luke Andrews N8 19 Thomas Waldrom SH 20 Brendan Haami FH 21 Jimmy Gopperth CE 22 Tamati Ellison Coach: Colin Cooper

Player statistics

Leading try scorers

Leading point scorers

References

1. "It is official: Spears shafted" Archived 9 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, RugbyRugby.com, 19 April 2006
2. "Southern Spears get okay to compete in Super 14". Pretoria News. 5 August 2006. Archived from the original on 31 August 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2006.
3. "From Cats to Lions ... the new look". Planet Rugby. 8 September 2006. Archived from the original on 21 May 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2006.

• 2006 Super 14 season
• Super Rugby seasons
• 2006 in New Zealand rugby union
• 2006 in Australian rugby union
• 2006 in South African rugby union
• 2006 rugby union tournaments for clubs