* The annual competition features regional teams from the southern hemisphere, five each from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
* The competition started as the Super 12 in 1996, a year after the sport turned professional, and was expanded to 14 teams from 2006 and 15 in 2011 after the Melbourne Rebels were added.
* The competition changed to a conference-based system for each country in 2011, extending the season and guaranteeing more local derbies.
* The Johannesburg-based Lions have replaced the Southern Kings as South Africa's fifth team after a two-leg promotion/relegation playoff last year.
* Each team will play the other four sides in their conference home and away, and four of the sides in each of the other two conferences once for a total of 16 games.
* Each team will also receive two bye weeks.
* Teams earn four points for a win, two for a draw, plus a bonus point for scoring four tries in a match or losing by less than seven points.
* The top side in each conference at the end of the regular season advance to the post-season, ranked one to three in the playoffs according to their individual competition points.
* The teams ranked four to six, based on their points total, will also qualify for the playoffs and can come from any conference.
* Teams ranked one and two receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs, with the third-ranked team playing the sixth ranked side. The fourth ranked side plays the fifth. The higher ranked teams are given home advantage.
* The winners in the first round of playoffs advance to the semi-finals on the weekend of July 25/26, playing the top two sides away.
* The winners of the semi-finals contest the title in the final on Aug. 2.
* New Zealand teams have dominated the competition, winning 12 of the 18 finals. The Canterbury Crusaders are the most successful with seven titles.
* The Waikato Chiefs are attempting to become the second side, after the Crusaders, to win the competition for a third successive year after they defended the title last year.
* South Africa's Bulls are the only South African champions, having won the title in 2007, 2009, 2010.