The second season of the 18-team Super Rugby competition kicks off on Thursday amid some uncertainty about the future form of the competition, the success of which offers the southern hemisphere a bulwark against the riches of Europe. The maiden season of the new format, which must rank among the most complex in world sport, brought Argentina and Japan into the fold and ultimately produced worthy champions when the Wellington Hurricanes beat South Africa's Lions in the final. It is hard to see Japan's Sunwolves as anything more than Africa 1 whipping boys in their second season, particularly as they will face the might of the New Zealand teams for the first time. The twice champion ACT Brumbies could be in for a season of struggle after losing Wallabies captain Stephen Moore to the Reds and David Pocock to a sabbatical. (This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Source: dna February 20, 2017 08:26 UTC