The Bulls begin their defence of the Super 14 title with a Friday night match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, when the 2010 tournament kicks off on 12 February.

The Bulls begin their defence of the Super 14 title with a Friday night match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, when the 2010 tournament kicks off on 12 February.

The match is one of six national derbies on the opening weekend.

The opening day of the new season gets underway in Auckland, where the inaugural Super 12 champions, the Blues, host North Island rivals the Hurricanes.

The Australian season kicks off in Perth with the Western Force hosting the Brumbies.

The first Saturday of the tournament ? 13 February ? starts with a South Island derby in Christchurch, where the Crusaders welcome the Highlanders, while the Reds and Waratahs are immediately in their traditional battle for bragging rights in Brisbane.

The two remaining opening round matches are in South Africa with the Lions hosting the Stormers in Johannesburg, while the Chiefs begin the 2010 tournament where they ended in the final of the 2009 edition ? with a return to the Republic to take on the Sharks in Durban.

The 16-week competition concludes with semifinals on the weekend of 21 and 22 May, with the Final a week later on 29 May.

The 2010 season will be the last for Super Rugby in its current format. It will expand to 15 teams and a three conference system in 2011.

Super 14 schedule for 2010 (all information is subject to change - kick-off is in local time and GMT):

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