Science Fair Project Encyclopedia The first Super 12 series was
held in 1996, although it has its origins in the Super 10, Super
6 and South Pacific championships. It was born out of the
success of 1995 Rugby Union World Cup, pitting regional teams of
the then three strongest rugby nations against each other. One
significant reason for the development of the Super 12
competition was the introduction, in Australia especially but
also in other nations, of pay (or subscription) television
(often known in the USA as 'cable' or 'satellite' TV). A key
part of the business model for the Foxtel pay TV network in
Australia was to attract subscribers by offering an exclusive
product (such as rugby union) which could not be seen on free-
to-air broadcast television. The Super 12 is a round-robin
competition with each team playing every other team with games
held each weekend. A team receives four points for a win, two
for a draw, and none for a loss. Teams also receive a bonus
point for scoring four tries, regardless of