FACTBOX-Rugby-Key details of 2012 Super Rugby

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Factbox on the 2012 Super Rugby competition, which starts on Friday:

* The annual competition features the best provincial teams from the southern hemisphere, five each from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.

* An overhaul of the citing and judicial review system has led to the introduction of a white card for referees to use if they suspect foul play but did not see the incident clearly or cannot identify the perpetrator.

The suspected player or players will play on but be "on report" and may be punished after a review.

* 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 last year after the Melbourne Rebels were added.

* The competition changed to a conference-based system for each country last year, extending the season and guaranteeing more local derbies.

* Each team will play the other four sides in their conference at home and away, and four of the sides in each of the other two conferences once to give a total of 16 games.

* Each team will also receive two bye weeks throughout the competition.

* 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 will advance to the playoffs in the positions 1, 2, 3 dependent on 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 will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs with the third-ranked team playing the sixth ranked side, while the fourth ranked side will play the fifth. The higher ranked teams have home advantage.

* The winners of each of those first round of matches will then advance to the semi-finals against Team 1 and Team 2, with the lowest ranked qualifier playing the top seed on the weekend of July 1/2. Teams 1 & 2 have home advantage.

* The two winners advance to the final on Aug. 4.

* New Zealand teams have dominated the competition, winning 10 of the 16 finals. The Canterbury Crusaders are the most successful with seven titles, with the Auckland Blues winning three.

* South Africa's Bulls are the only South African champions, having won the title in 2007, 2009, 2010.

* The Queensland Reds are defending the title having last year joined the twice champion ACT Brumbies as the only Australian winners.

(Compiled by Greg Stutchbury and Nick Mulvenney, editing by Patrick Johnston)

(For the sports blog Left Field go to: blogs.reuters.com/sport))

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