The draw for the Super 14 for 2010 has been made.

Well the long and short of it is that the Bulls and Stormers have a dream draw, while the Lions and Sharks have a draw from hell. The Cheetahs fall somewhere in the middle and taking everything into consideration, the Bulls have a damn good chance to defend their title if we go on the draw alone!

The Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs seemed to get the longest end of the stick this time around with all three teams spending their first 6 or 7 weeks on SA soil while they take on arguably the strongest franchises the Super 14 has to offer.

Both the Lions and Sharks have a tour from hell where they will spend 5 weeks in Australasia crossing the ditch twice during their stay.

To make matters worse for these two teams they play 3 of last year’s 4 semi-finalist away from home.

The opening week sees a host of derbies but I will only concentrate on the South African franchises.

The defending champions Bulls travel to Bloem for their opening fixture on February 12 while the Lions and Stormers lock horns in Johannesburg.

Both the Stormers and Bulls will spend their opening 6 weeks on SA soil with the Stormers probably getting the slightly more favourable draw having their bye on the weekend between their last game in South Africa and their tour following the bye in Australia against the Western Force.

The Cheetahs have it even better than these two teams where they will spend their opening 7 weeks in SA before they travel over to Australasia for a 4 week tour.

Where the Cheetahs have it slightly better again than the Stormers and the Bulls is they end of their last 3 weeks in Bloemfontein where the Stormers and Bulls will have an away match derby in their final three weeks following their tour.

But it is the Lions and Sharks that are in for a tough time. They both travel away in week two already of the competition where their opponents on tour will be the Crusaders, Waratahs, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Highlanders with both teams, as mentioned, having to cross the ditch twice (start in Aus, move to NZ and then back to Aus) in 5 weeks.

The competition starts on February 12 and round 14 will be completed when the Bulls and Stormers lock horns in Cape Town on May 15. The semi’s and finals will follow in the two weeks following Round 14.

Super 14 draw 2010:

Week 1:

Friday, February 12:

Blues v Hurricanes (Auckland – 19.35, 07.35)
Western Force v Brumbies (Perth – 19.05, 11.05)
Cheetahs v Bulls (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, February 13:

Crusaders v Highlanders (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Waratahs (Brisbane – 18.40, 08.40)
Lions v Stormers (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)
Sharks v Chiefs (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)

Week 2:

Friday, February 19:

Highlanders v Blues (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Crusaders (Brisbane – 19.45, 09.45)
Sharks v Cheetahs (Durban, 18.00, 16.00)
Lions v Chiefs (Johannesburg – 20.00, 18.00)

Saturday, February 20:

Hurricanes v Western Force (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Bulls v Brumbies (Pretoria – 17.05, 15.05)
Stormers v Waratahs (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)

Week 3:

Friday, February 26:

Crusaders v Sharks (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Stormers v Brumbies (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, February 27:

Hurricanes v Lions (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Reds v Blues (Brisbane – 18.40, 08.40)
Western Force v Chiefs (Perth – 19.05, 11.05)
Cheetahs v Highlanders (Bloemfontein – 17.05, 15.05)
Bulls v Waratahs (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)

Week 4:

Friday, March 5:

Chiefs v Reds (Hamilton – 19.35, 06.35)
Brumbies v Lions (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)

Saturday, March 6:

Crusaders v Blues (Christchurch – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Sharks (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Stormers v Highlanders (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)
Cheetahs v Hurricanes (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)

Bye: Bulls & Western Force

Week 5:

Friday, March 12:

Chiefs v Crusaders (Hamilton – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Lions (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)

Saturday, March 13:

Brumbies v Sharks (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)
Bulls v Highlanders (Pretoria – 17.05, 15.05)
Stormers v Hurricanes (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)

Sunday, March 14:

Reds v Western Force (Brisbane – 16.30, 06.30)

Bye: Cheetahs & Blues

Week 6:

Friday, March 19:

Blues v Brumbies (Auckland – 19.35, 06.35)
Bulls v Hurricanes (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, March 20:

Crusaders v Lions (Christchurch – 17.30, 04.30)
Highlanders v Sharks (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Western Force v Waratahs (Perth – 19.10, 11.10)
Stormers v Cheetahs (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)

Bye: Reds & Chiefs

Week 7:

Friday, March 26:

Highlanders v Lions (Dunedin – 19.35, 06.35)
Brumbies v Chiefs (Canberra – 19.40, 08.40)
Cheetahs v Reds (Bloemfontein – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, March 27:

Hurricanes v Sharks (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Blues (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Western Force v Bulls (Perth – 19.10, 11.10)

Bye: Stormers & Crusaders

Week 8:

Friday, April 2:

Hurricanes v Crusaders (Wellington – 19.35, 06.35)
Western Force v Stormers (Perth – 18.05, 10.05)

Saturday, April 3:

Blues v Bulls (Auckland – 17.30, 04.30)
Chiefs v Highlanders (Mt Maunganui – 19.35, 06.35)
Waratahs v Cheetahs (Sydney – 19.40, 08.40)
Sharks v Reds (Durban – 17.05, 15.05)

Bye: Brumbies & Lions

Week 9:

Friday, April 9:

Chiefs v Bulls (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)

Saturday, April 10:

Highlanders v Western Force (Queenstown – 14.30, 02.30)
Blues v Stormers (Auckland – 17.30, 05.30)
Crusaders v Waratahs (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Cheetahs (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Lions v Reds (Johannesburg – 19.10, 17.10)

Bye: Sharks & Hurricanes

Week 10:

Friday, April 16:

Chiefs v Stormers (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Hurricanes (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)

Saturday, April 17:

Blues v Western Force (Auckland – 17.30, 05.30)
Crusaders v Cheetahs (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Bulls (Brisbane – 19.40, 11.40)
Lions v Sharks (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)

Bye: Waratahs & Highlanders

Week 11:

Friday, April 23:

Chiefs v Cheetahs (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Stormers (Brisbane – 19.40, 09.40)
Western Force v Crusaders (Perth – 19.45, 11.45)

Saturday, April 24:

Highlanders v Hurricanes (Dunedin – 19.35, 07.35)
Waratahs v Brumbies (Sydney – 19.40, 09.40)
Bulls v Lions (Pretoria – 15.00, 13.00)
Sharks v Blues (Durban – 17.05, 15.05)

Week 12:

Friday, April 30:

Highlanders v Waratahs (Invercargill – 19.35, 07.35)
Stormers v Crusaders (Cape Town – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, May 1:

Hurricanes v Chiefs (Wellington – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Reds (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Cheetahs v Blues (Bloemfontein – 15.00, 13.00)
Lions v Western Force (Johannesburg – 17.05, 15.05)
Bulls v Sharks (Pretoria – 19.10, 17.10)

Week 13:

Friday, May 7:

Hurricanes v Reds (Wellington – 19.35, 07.35)
Lions v Blues (Johannesburg – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, May 8:

Chiefs v Waratahs (Hamilton – 19.35, 07.35)
Brumbies v Highlanders (Canberra – 19.40, 09.40)
Bulls v Crusaders (Pretoria – 15.00, 13.00)
Cheetahs v Western Force (Bloemfontein – 17.05, 15.05)
Sharks v Stormers (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)

Week 14:

Friday, May 14:

Blues v Chiefs (Auckland – 19.35, 07.35)
Waratahs v Hurricanes (Sydney – 19.40, 09.40)
Sharks v Western Force (Durban – 19.10, 17.10)

Saturday, May 15:

Crusaders v Brumbies (Christchurch – 19.35, 07.35)
Reds v Highlanders (Brisbane – 19.40, 09.40)
Cheetahs v Lions (Kimberley – 15.00, 13.00)
Stormers v Bulls (Cape Town – 17.05, 15.05)

Week 15 – SEMIFINALS

Friday, May 21

Saturday, May 22

Week 16 – FINAL

Saturday, May 29