The Chiefs lifted the 2012 Super Rugby crown © Getty Images

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Tournaments/Tours: Super Rugby

Teams: Australia | New Zealand | South Africa

The battle lines have been drawn for the 2013 Super Rugby season with just the Australian sides playing in round one.

With the British & Irish Lions journeying Down Under next summer and playing the Australian franchises, SANZAR has been faced with a fixture conundrum. To get all the matches in over the duration of the season, Australian sides will be the only teams turning out in rounds one and 17 while in rounds 18 and 19, the New Zealand and South Africa sides will take to the field.

"The Lions tour to Australia presented some unique challenges in preparing the 2013 Super Rugby draw," SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said. "We are very appreciative of cooperation we received from the national Unions and broadcasters in preparing this draw and working through the issues."

Round one therefore sees the Melbourne Rebels hosting the Western Force and the Reds travelling to the Brumbies. Super Rugby newboys the Southern Kings will take their bow in the tournament against the Force in Port Elizabeth in round two while last season's champions the Chiefs start their campaign with a trip to the Highlanders.

With last season's Super Rugby continuing in the same vein as before with quick moving and easy on the eye rugby played throughout the tournament, Peters is looking forward to another exciting campaign.

"Over the last two seasons we have seen two franchises - the Reds and the Chiefs -win the Super Rugby trophy for the first time," Peters said. "The emphasis in early rounds is again on local derbies that have again proven to be the most watched and attended matches in 2012.

"The 2012 Super Rugby season was the most watched season of Super Rugby ever, both in terms of those attending matches live and also viewing on television. The 2013 draw will hopefully see us grow those numbers again."

Round 1
February 15 - Melbourne Rebels (AUS) v Western Force (AUS), Melbourne
Feb 16 - Brumbies (AUS) v Queensland Reds (AUS), Canberra
NSW Waratahs (AUS) - bye

Round 2
Feb 22 - Highlanders (NZL) v Chiefs (NZL) Venue TBC
Feb 22 - Melbourne Rebels (AUS) v Brumbies (AUS), Melbourne
Feb 22 - Bulls (RSA) v Stormers (RSA), Pretoria
Feb 23 - Hurricanes (NZL) v Blues (NZL) Venue TBC
Feb 23 - Queensland Reds (AUS) v Waratahs (AUS), Brisbane
Feb 23 - Cheetahs (RSA) v Sharks (RSA), Bloemfontein
Feb 23 - Southern Kings (RSA) v Western Force (AUS), Port Elizabeth
Crusaders (NZL) - bye

Round 3
March 1 - Blues v Crusaders, Venue TBC
March 1 - Reds v Hurricanes, Brisbane
March 2 - Chiefs v Cheetahs, Venue TBC
March 2 - Waratahs v Rebels, Sydney
March 2 - Bulls v Force, Pretoria
March 2 - Sharks v Stormers, Durban
Brumbies, Highlanders, Kings - byes

Round 4
March 8 - Hurricanes v Crusaders, Venue TBC
March 8 - Rebels v Reds, Melbourne
March 9 - Highlanders v Cheetahs, Venue TBC
March 9 - Brumbies v Waratahs, Canberra
March 9 - Stormers v Chiefs, Cape Town
March 9 - Kings v Sharks, Port Elizabeth
March 10 - Blues v Bulls, Venue TBC
Force - bye

Round 5
March 15 - Highlanders v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
March 15 - Waratahs v Cheetahs, Sydney
March 15 - Kings v Chiefs, Port Elizabeth
March 16 - Crusaders v Bulls, Christchurch
March 16 - Reds v Force, Brisbane
March 16 - Sharks v Brumbies, Durban
Blues, Rebels, Stormers - byes

Round 6
March 22 - Chiefs v Highlanders, Venue TBC
March 23 - Crusaders v Kings, Christchurch
March 23 - Reds v Bulls, Brisbane
March 23 - Force v Cheetahs, Perth
March 23 - Sharks v Rebels, Durban
March 23 - Stormers v Brumbies, Cape Town
March 24 - Waratahs v Blues, Sydney
Hurricanes - bye

Round 7
March 29 - Highlanders v Reds, Venue TBC
March 30 - Hurricanes v Kings, Venue TBC
March 30 - Chiefs v Blues, Venue TBC
March 30 - Brumbies v Bulls, Canberra
March 30 - Cheetahs v Rebels, Bloemfontein
March 30 - Stormers v Crusaders, Cape Town
March 31 - Waratahs v Force, Sydney
Sharks - bye

Round 8
April 5 - Blues v Highlanders, Venue TBC
April 5 - Brumbies v Kings, Canberra
April 5 - Sharks v Crusaders, Durban
April 6 - Hurricanes v Waratahs, Venue TBC
April 6 - Force v Rebels, Perth
April 6 - Cheetahs v Stormers, Bloemfontein
Bulls, Chiefs, Reds - byes

Round 9
April 12 - Highlanders v Brumbies, Venue TBC
April 13 - Chiefs v Reds, Venue TBC
April 13 - Blues v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
April 13 - Rebels v Kings, Melbourne
April 13 - Force v Crusaders, Perth
April 13 - Stormers v Sharks, Cape Town
April 13 - Bulls v Cheetahs, Pretoria
Waratahs - bye

Round 10
April 19 - Hurricanes v Force, Venue TBC
April 19 - Waratahs v Chiefs, Sydney
April 20 - Crusaders v Highlanders, Christchurch
April 20 - Reds v Brumbies, Brisbane
April 20 - Sharks v Cheetahs, Durban
April 20 - Kings v Bulls, Port Elizabeth
Blues, Rebels, Stormers - byes

Round 11

April 26 - Hurricanes v Stormers, Venue TBC April 26 - Reds v Blues, Brisbane
April 27 - Chiefs v Sharks, Venue TBC
April 27 - Brumbies v Force, Canberra
April 27 - Bulls v Waratahs, Pretoria
April 27 - Cheetahs v Kings, Bloemfontein
April 28 - Crusaders v Rebels, Christchurch
Highlanders - bye

Round 12
May 3 - Blues v Stormers, Venue TBC
TBC - Rebels v Chiefs, Melbourne
May 4 - Highlanders v Sharks, Venue TBC
May 4 - Force v Reds, Perth
May 4 - Kings v Waratahs, Port Elizabeth
May 4 - Bulls v Hurricanes, Pretoria
May 5 - Brumbies v Crusaders, Canberra
Cheetahs - bye

Round 13
May 10 - Chiefs v Force, Venue TBC
May 10 - Reds v Sharks, Brisbane
May 10 - Cheetahs v Hurricanes, Bloemfontein
May 11 - Blues v Rebels, Venue TBC
May 11 - Waratahs v Stormers, Sydney
May 11 - Kings v Highlanders, Port Elizabeth
Brumbies, Bulls, Crusaders - byes

Round 14
May 17 - Hurricanes v Chiefs, Venue TBC
May 17 - Rebels v Stormers, Melbourne
May 17 - Force v Sharks, Perth
May 18 - Crusaders v Blues, Christchurch
May 18 - Waratahs v Brumbies, Sydney
May 18 - Bulls v Highlanders, Pretoria
May 18 - Cheetahs v Reds, Bloemfontein
Kings - bye

Round 15
May 24 - Chiefs v Crusaders, Venue TBC
May 24 - Rebels v Waratahs, Melbourne
May 25 - Blues v Brumbies, Venue TBC
May 25 - Force v Highlanders, Perth
May 25 - Kings v Cheetahs, Port Elizabeth
May 25 - Stormers v Reds, Cape Town
May 25 - Sharks v Bulls, Durban
Hurricanes - bye

Round 16
May 31 - Crusaders v Waratahs, Christchurch
May 31 - Brumbies v Hurricanes, Canberra
June 1 - Highlanders v Blues, Venue TBC
June 1 - Reds v Rebels, Brisbane
June 1 - Stormers v Kings, Cape Town
June 1 - Cheetahs v Bulls, Bloemfontein
Chiefs, Force, Sharks - byes

Round 17
June 7 - Brumbies v Rebels, Canberra
June 9 - Force v Waratahs, Perth
Reds - bye

Round 18
June 28 - Chiefs v Hurricanes, Venue TBC
June 29 - Highlanders v Crusaders, Venue TBC
June 29 - Sharks v Blues, Durban
June 29 - Bulls v Kings, Pretoria
June 29 - Stormers v Cheetahs, Cape Town

Round 19
July 5 - Crusaders v Chiefs, Christchurch
July 6 - Hurricanes v Highlanders, Venue TBC
July 6 - Cheetahs v Blues, Bloemfontein
July 6 - Kings v Stormers, Port Elizabeth
July 6 - Bulls v Sharks, Pretoria

Round 20
July 12 - Crusaders v Hurricanes, Christchurch
July 12 - Rebels v Highlanders, Melbourne
July 13 - Blues v Chiefs, Venue TBC
July 13 - Waratahs v Reds, Sydney
July 13 - Force v Brumbies, Perth
July 13 - Sharks v Kings, Durban
July 13 - Stormers v Bulls, Cape Town
Cheetahs - bye

Qualifiers
July 19/20

Semi-finals
July 26/27

Final
August 3