2018 Super Rugby season
The 2018 Super Rugby season was the 23rd season of Super Rugby, an annual rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR between teams from Argentina, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. After two seasons in which 18 teams participated, the 2018 season reverted to a 15-team competition, consisting of three geographical conferences.
| 2018 Super Rugby season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries | Argentina (1 team) Australia (4 teams) Japan (1 team) New Zealand (5 teams) South Africa (4 teams) | ||
| Tournament format(s) | Conference and knockout | ||
| Champions | Crusaders (9th title) | ||
| Matches played | 127 | ||
| Tries scored | 925 (7.28 per match) | ||
| Top point scorer(s) | Bernard Foley, Waratahs (223) | ||
| Top try scorer(s) | Ben Lam, Hurricanes (16) | ||
| Official website | Official site | ||
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The South African Rugby Union announced that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings would be dropped for the 2018 season, while the Australian Rugby Union, now known as Rugby Australia, announced the exclusion of the Force. The South African franchises thereafter entered the newly renamed Pro14 competition, while the Western Force took part in the National Rugby Championship, the domestic Australia competition, while preparing to enter the new Global Rapid Rugby competition in 2019.