Vodacom Super Rugby

The 2011 season promises to be one of the most enthralling in the professional era predicted Jurie Roux, chief executive officer of the South African Rugby Union (SARU), when the Union released the 2011 fixture list on Wednesday.

The South African provincial season kicks off on February 19 with the Sharks hosting the Cheetahs in the first of four South African derby matches in the first two rounds of the competition, while the Vodacom Cup kicks off one week later.

The Rugby World Cup means there no tours this season and the shortened Tri-Nations tournament starts in July with the Springboks meeting the Wallabies in Sydney on July 23 before meeting the All Blacks one week later in Wellington, where the team will play the opening two matches of the Rugby World Cup. The World Cup kicks of on September 9 with the All Blacks playing Tonga and on the Sunday of the opening weekend the Springboks playing the first of their four Pool D matches against Wales. They also face Fiji in Wellington before matches against Namibia and Samoa in North Harbour.

The South African season concludes on October 29 – one week after the Rugby World Cup final – with the final of the Absa Currie Cup.

Key dates

Kick off Final Competition

Feb 18 July 9 Vodacom Super Rugby
Feb 25 May 13 Vodacom Cup
June 10 June 26 Junior World Championship (Italy)
July 15 Oct 29 Absa Currie Cup
July 23 Aug 27 Tri-Nations
Sept 9 Oct 23 Rugby World Cup (New Zealand)

Issued by SARU Communications