Just when I thought it might just be a nightmare caused by eating too much cheese before hitting the sack, below is proof in black and white from SANZAR that there will indeed be a 3 week break in the Super15 next year to accommodate the incoming tours, in our case, the England Tests …
The one relatively sane thing about the fixtures is that the teams playing in the week prior to the incoming tours (June 1 and 2) will all play in their home country … Meaning there will not be a situation where the Boks in the SA franchises would need to travel back from Auckland (after playing the Blues away) on a Saturday night in order to be ready to play England a week later in South Africa.
Sane is a relative word in this context though … Bring back the Super12 I say, and lets have it done and dusted before the incoming tours … And this before SARU have made the call as to how they see the EP Kings fitting into the Super Rugby picture …
2012 will see the Rebels, already up against it given their form this year, suffer a further blow via a bye in the first round, while the Hurricanes will be the first team to travel … Taking on the Stormers in the first round at Newlands …
Speaking of the Stormers, they miss out on paying the Chiefs next year, and take on champion sides the Reds and Crusaders away from home. They do have an awesome start to the tournament via two home games and a bye, though …
The 2012 Super Rugby fixtures:
| DAY & DATE | MATCH | VENUE |
| Friday 24 Feb | Blues v Crusaders | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Friday 24 Feb | Brumbies v Force | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Friday 24 Feb | Bulls v Sharks | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Saturday 25 Feb | Chiefs v Highlanders | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Saturday 25 Feb | Waratahs v Reds | ANZ Stadium, Sydney |
| Saturday 25 Feb | Stormers v Hurricanes | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Saturday 25 Feb | Lions v Cheetahs | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Friday 2 March | Chiefs v Blues | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Friday 2 March | Rebels v Waratahs | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Friday 2 March | Lions v Hurricanes | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Saturday 3 March | Highlanders v Crusaders | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 3 March | Reds v Force | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 3 March | Cheetahs v Bulls | Bloemfontein |
| Saturday 3 March | Stormers v Sharks | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Friday 9 March | Crusaders v Chiefs | TBC |
| Friday 9 March | Force v Hurricanes | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 10 March | Brumbies v Cheetahs | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 10 March | Highlanders v Waratahs | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 10 March | Reds v Rebels | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 10 March | Sharks v Lions | Kings Park, Durban |
| Saturday 10 March | Bulls v Blues | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Friday 16 March | Chiefs v Brumbies | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Friday 16 March | Stormers v Blues | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Saturday 17 March | Hurricanes v Highlanders | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 17 March | Waratahs v Force | SFS, Sydney |
| Saturday 17 March | Sharks v Reds | Kings Park, Durban |
| Sunday 18 March | Rebels v Cheetahs | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Friday 23 March | Blues v Hurricanes | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Friday 23 March | Rebels v Force | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Saturday 24 March | Waratahs v Sharks | SFS, Sydney |
| Saturday 24 March | Crusaders v Cheetahs | TBC |
| Saturday 24 March | Brumbies v Highlanders | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 24 March | Bulls v Reds | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Saturday 24 March | Lions v Stormers | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Friday 30 March | Highlanders v Rebels | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 31 March | Hurricanes v Cheetahs | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 31 March | Chiefs v Waratahs | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Saturday 31 March | Brumbies v Sharks | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 31 March | Force v Reds | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 31 March | Lions v Crusaders | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Saturday 31 March | Stormers v Bulls | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Thursday 5 April | Rebels v Blues | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Friday 6 April | Hurricanes v Sharks | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Friday 6 April | Reds v Brumbies | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Friday 6 April | Force v Chiefs | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 7 April | Highlanders v Stormers | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 7 April | Cheetahs v Lions | North West Stadium Welkom |
| Saturday 7 April | Bulls v Crusaders | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Friday 13 April | Blues v Sharks | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Friday 13 April | Force v Waratahs | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 14 April | Crusaders v Stormers | TBC |
| Saturday 14 April | Brumbies v Rebels | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 14 April | Cheetahs v Chiefs | Bloemfontein |
| Saturday 14 April | Lions v Bulls | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Friday 20 April | Highlanders v Blues | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Friday 20 April | Reds v Stormers | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 21 April | Hurricanes v Crusaders | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 21 April | Waratahs v Rebels | SFS, Sydney |
| Saturday 21 April | Sharks v Chiefs | Kings Park, Durban |
| Saturday 21 April | Bulls v Brumbies | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Friday 27 April | Blues v Reds | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Friday 27 April | Lions v Brumbies | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Saturday 28 April | Chiefs v Hurricanes | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Saturday 28 April | Force v Stormers | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 28 April | Cheetahs v Highlanders | Bloemfontein |
| Sunday 29 April | Waratahs v Crusaders | SFS, Sydney |
| Friday 4 May | Hurricanes v Blues | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Friday 4 May | Rebels v Bulls | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Saturday 5 May | Chiefs v Lions | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Saturday 5 May | Brumbies v Waratahs | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 5 May | Sharks v Highlanders | Mr Price Kings Park, Durban |
| Saturday 5 May | Cheetahs v Force | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| Sunday 6 May | Crusaders v Reds | TBC |
| Friday 11 May | Blues v Lions | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Friday 11 May | Waratahs v Bulls | SFS, Sydney |
| Saturday 12 May | Highlanders v Hurricanes | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 12 May | Rebels v Crusaders | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Saturday 12 May | Sharks v Force | Kings Park, Durban |
| Saturday 12 May | Stormers v Cheetahs | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Sunday 13 May | Reds v Chiefs | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Friday 18 May | Hurricanes v Brumbies | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 19 May | Highlanders v Bulls | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Saturday 19 May | Crusaders v Blues | TBC |
| Saturday 19 May | Reds v Lions | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 19 May | Cheetahs v Sharks | Bloemfontein |
| Saturday 19 May | Stormers v Waratahs | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Sunday 20 May | Force v Rebels | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Friday 25 May | Chiefs v Bulls | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Saturday 26 May | Hurricanes v Rebels | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 26 May | Blues v Highlanders | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Saturday 26 May | Brumbies v Reds | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 26 May | Force v Lions | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 26 May | Cheetahs v Waratahs | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| Saturday 26 May | Sharks v Stormers | Mr Price Kings Park, Durban |
| Friday 1 June | Crusaders v Highlanders | TBC |
| Friday 1 June | Rebels v Brumbies | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Saturday 2 June | Blues v Chiefs | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Saturday 2 June | Waratahs v Hurricanes | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Saturday 2 June | Lions v Sharks | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Saturday 2 June | Bulls v Stormers | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Friday 29 June | Highlanders v Chiefs | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Friday 29 June | Rebels v Reds | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Saturday 30 June | Crusaders v Hurricanes | TBC |
| Saturday 30 June | Force v Brumbies | NIB Stadium, Perth |
| Saturday 30 June | Stormers v Lions | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Saturday 30 June | Bulls v Cheetahs | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
| Friday 6 July | Chiefs v Crusaders | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton |
| Friday 6 July | Reds v Highlanders | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 7 July | Blues v Force | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Saturday 7 July | Waratahs v Brumbies | ANZ Stadium, Sydney |
| Saturday 7 July | Cheetahs v Stormers | Bloemfontein |
| Saturday 7 July | Lions v Rebels | Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg |
| Saturday 7 July | Sharks v Bulls | Kings Park, Durban |
| Friday 13 July | Hurricanes v Chiefs | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Saturday 14 July | Brumbies v Blues | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Saturday 14 July | Crusaders v Force | TBC |
| Saturday 14 July | Reds v Waratahs | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 14 July | Stormers v Rebels | Newlands, Cape Town |
| Saturday 14 July | Sharks v Cheetahs | Kings Park, Durban |
| Saturday 14 July | Bulls v Lions | Loftus Versfeld, Pertoria |
