2006 Super 14
| 2006 Super 14 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries |
 Australia South Africa New Zealand
|
||
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and Knockout | ||
| Champions |
Crusaders (6th title) |
||
| Matches played | 94 | ||
| Tries scored | 447 (4.76 per match) | ||
| Top point scorer(s) |
Daniel Carter (221) (Crusaders) |
||
| Top try scorer(s) |
 Lome Fa'atau (10)(Hurricanes) |
||
|
|||
The 2006 Super 14 season started on Friday 10 February 2006. The Grand Final was held on Saturday 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.
At the start of round one, the Crusaders were the favourite to win this year's title 1 with a return of A$3.25 for every $1 bet. The Blues were second favourite with a return of A$4.75 for every $1 bet and the Waratahs were third with a return of A$5.00 for every $1 bet. The Cats were favourites for the wooden spoon. These figures are the final odds.
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 laundrymart. 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.
...
Wikipedia