Melbourne Rebels 2018 Super Rugby Draw

skjadun
Sep 21, 2017
3 min read

The Melbourne Rebels will kick-off their 2018 Vodafone Super Rugby season at home when they host the Queensland Reds at AAMI Park on Friday 23 February. The release of the 2018 draw by SANZAAR on Thursday revealed the Rebels will begin the new era of Super Rugby with four Australian Conference derbies against the Reds (H), Sunwolves (A), Brumbies (H) and Waratahs (A). The announcement confirms the restructured 15-team competition, which will see the Rebels play a 16-game season in 2018, up one game from the two previous years, including eight home games and eight away games. “It’s great to kick off the season with four Australian Conference derbies in 2018 season,” Melbourne Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson said. “AAMI Park is a world class stadium and it is very exciting to host four home games in the first six rounds from a momentum and engagement perspective.” The Melbourne Rebels will host three local derbies, two New Zealand blockbusters, including Super Rugby champion Crusaders and the All Black laden Hurricanes, and a strong international presence from South Africa, Argentina and Japan for our Rebels members and fans in 2018. “We’re certainly looking forward to the season ahead, we have a strong focus on making Rebels home games as entertaining for the whole family and enticing new markets at a time when there is no Big Bash, AFL or NRL on in Melbourne,” Stephenson said. The Rebels will become Friday night specialists in 2018 with seven of the club’s eight home games scheduled for the time slot, plus a Saturday afternoon clash against Argentina’s Jaguares in Round 9. The new draw will see the Rebels play their Australian Conference rivals home and away during the season, along with games against four teams from both the New Zealand and South African Conferences. The Rebels will travel to Singapore for the first time when they play the Sunwolves at their alternate venue in Round 2 before the Japanese make their maiden trip to Melbourne in Round 15. The Rebels tour to South Africa will again come mid-season when they travel to Pretoria to take on the Bulls in Round 10 before they head south to play the Stormers in Cape Town in Round 11. The Rebels will finish the season with three games following June’s international break with a home game against the Waratahs followed by two games on the road to the Reds and Highlanders to finish the 19-week regular season. Melbourne Rebels 2018 Super Rugby Draw