With the introduction of the professional Super 12 competition they moved to a model where players are contracted to the Reds through the Queensland Rugby Union rather than selected on the basis of club form.

From 1996 to 2005 they were one of three Australian teams competing in the Super 12 competition, alongside the New South Wales Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies.

Beginning in 2011, they are one of five Australian sides in the expanded and renamed Super Rugby, winning the competition in its first season in its new format (2011).

In 2012 they finished first in the Australian conference and won the Super Rugby AU title in 2021, when regionalised competitions were played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As rugby historian Sean Fagan noted: In 1883, the first inter-colonial match in Brisbane took place, with Queensland defeating New South Wales 12 to 11 at the Eagle Farm Racecourse.

In 1950 the QRU secured the Normanby Oval at nominal rent from Brisbane Grammar School, before they moved into Ballymore Stadium in 1966, which would serve as the spiritual home of Queensland.

Two seasons later centenary celebrations took place, with Queensland defeating New South Wales 41 to 7 in the celebratory match.

South African team Transvaal had finished at the top of Pool A and the final was to be decided at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The Reds took part in the one-off Australian Provincial Championship not getting the start they wanted, losing to the Force 32–6 at home in round one but turned it around the next week beating the Waratahs 39–17 in Gosford.

The 2007 Super 14 season saw the Queensland Reds finishing a poor season by winning the wooden spoon, they couldn't have started the competition any better when they beat 2006 Grand Finalists the Wellington Hurricanes in Round 1, after that win they would not taste victory again until Round 12.

This defeat was by the largest margin in Super Rugby history, although the NSW Waratahs had 96 points scored against them in their loss to the Crusaders in 2002.

The Reds continued to play exciting rugby for the rest of the season but lost close matches against the Crusaders, Blues, Chiefs and Waratahs, while the side finished 12th they showed plenty of promise and regained some respect.

After losing their star back Berrick Barnes to the Waratahs they unearthed the talent they had not noticed like that of Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane and Will Genia.

The highlight of their year was their 19–12 victory over the Bulls in which they played out a fast game to beat a truly world class side.

In the debut season of the renamed and revamped Super Rugby competition, the Queensland Reds showed their improvement from the previous few years.

In the final, Queensland Reds achieved their first Super Rugby Championship in the professional era, beating the Crusaders (18–13) in front of a record crowd (52,113) at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

[5] They repeated their 6–10 record in 2019, before making the coronavirus-enforced Super Rugby AU final in 2020, losing to the Brumbies.

[22] With the expansion of Super 12 to 14 for the 2006 season, the Reds moved to the 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium; which has been described as an investment in the future of the Queensland Rugby, with easier access and world class facilities.

In January 2007, the Queensland Reds released a team anthem to be sung by the crowd during matches and after wins.

The song was sung in the Queen Street Mall by members of the team including John Roe, Ben Tune, Peter Hynes and Berrick Barnes [citation needed].

‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ by John Denver is belted out at the conclusion of wins, an anthem of sorts.

The Reds have one of the largest and die-hard followings in Brisbane[citation needed], averaging 19 118 at their 2021 home games and filling Suncorp Stadium for their 6 semi-final and two Grand Final appearances, including the 2021 Harvey Norman Super Rugby AU Final against the ACT Brumbies.

Queensland Rugby CEO David Hanham claimed the fan base was growing once more after half a decade of on-field struggles, with the organisation passing 15 000 members in 2023 for the first time since 2018.

Queenslands most popular rivalries are against the other Australian teams in Super Rugby (Brumbies, Western Force, Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels).

Former Queensland captain John Eales, prior to the Queensland and New South Wales clash in 2001, quoted former Wallaby Mark Loane to sum up matches against New South Wales, "the most hard fought fights are fighting with your brother in the backyard".

[23] Since the start of professional Super rugby in 1996, 17 matches have been played, Queensland winning nine, New South Wales seven, and one being drawn.

The QRU formerly owned and managed two National Rugby Championship teams, Brisbane City and Queensland Country.