Super Rugby draw released for 2016 season

Japan's first Super Rugby match will be at home to South Africa's Lions.

There are three new teams in the 2016 competition - from Japan and Argentina for the first time, and a sixth from South Africa. The South African team are the Kings, who re-enter Super Rugby for the first time since 2013. Neither the Japanese or Argentinian teams have names yet.

The new season will kick off on Friday 26 February, run through to May, and finish after the international break in June.

Three of last year's semi-finalists are in action on the opening night. The Highlanders begin the defence of their title against the Blues in Auckland, and the Brumbies host the Hurricanes.

The Lions then travel to Tokyo for the Japanese team's first game, and the new Argentinian team's first game will be against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. 

The Port-Elizabeth-based Kings are up against the the Sharks at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The Australasian Group features the Australian and New Zealand Conferences each comprising their existing five teams, while the South African Group contains two Conferences with the Bulls, Cheetahs, Stormers and the Japanese team on one side and the Kings, Lions, Sharks and the Argentinian team on the other.

Teams will play six matches within their own Conference, five against an Australasian Conference, four against a South African Conference and will have two byes across the 17-week Regular Season.

The Regular Season will be followed by a knockout Super Rugby Finals Series featuring eight teams; the four conference winners plus the three next highest-ranked teams from the Australasian Group and the next highest-ranked team from the South African Group.

SANZAR Interim Chief Executive Brendan Morris said: "As we stand eagerly on the cusp of a new era of Super Rugby, fans can look forward to the upcoming season with a great deal of optimism and enthusiasm.

"We are in the envious position to be delivering our great brand of rugby to new cities and international markets, unlocking a host of commercial opportunities and delivering the unbridled excitement of Super Rugby to a legion of new and existing fans."

Opening week fixtures:

Feb 26 

Auckland Blues v Highlanders, Auckland

ACT Brumbies v Wellington Hurricanes, Canberra

Cheetahs v Argentina, Bloemfontein

Feb 27 

Japan v Lions, Tokyo

Crusaders v Waikato Chiefs, Christchurch

NSW Waratahs v Queensland Reds, Sydney

Western Force v Melbourne Rebels, Perth

Kings v Sharks, Port Elizabeth

Stormers v Bulls, Cape Town