Local derbies are back on the agenda in Super Rugby in 2018 after SANZAAR unveiled its draw for the revised 15-team competition.
The tournament will revert to the three-conference format last seen in 2015, but with Argentina's Jaguares aligned to South Africa and Japan's Sunwolves now set to feature in the Australian zone. The Cheetahs, Kings and Western Force have all departed the scene, the latter pending any further legal challenges from RugbyWA.
The biggest appeal of the reworked draw appears to be the reinstatement of a full set of conference local derbies, with teams to play all four of their immediate rivals on a home-and-away basis. Cross-conference play will feature matches against four of the five teams from both the wider zones, resulting in a total of 16 regular-season fixtures per franchise. Each team will play eight home and eight away games. The season kicks off on February 17 with the Stormers hosting the Jaguares in Cape Town before the Lions and Sharks do battle in Johannesburg. The other 11 teams are in action a week later, headlined by the Crusaders', the defending champions, clash with the Chiefs. The Rebels host the Reds in the first match on Australian soil.
SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos said Super Rugby remained arguably the world's premier club rugby tournament despite this year's off-field distractions.
"Super Rugby is one of, if not the best club rugby tournaments in the world highlighted this year by a global TV audience of nearly 50 million and a final crowd in Johannesburg of 60,000," Marinos said via a media release. "It is a key high performance pathway for players from the SANZAAR Unions to transition from club to Test rugby, and this will continue to be the case in the future.
"It was not an easy decision to reduce the number of teams but a necessary one considering the outputs from the strategic review to date. The tournament was not working with 18 teams, the structure was confusing, the outcomes of matches were becoming too predictable and the fans and stakeholders had, through our surveys, voiced their concerns."
Marinos noted the assistance of the Australian- and South African Rugby Union in agreeing to cut teams, and put the heat on Japan's Sunwolves to improve their performances moving forward.
"In addition to the decisions that were taken around the Australian and South African Conferences, SANZAAR has also been working hard with Japan and the Sunwolves," he said. "Their performances over the first two seasons have been disappointing and improvement is required.
"A structural reform has been implemented where responsibility for the Sunwolves will move from the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) to the entity known as Japan Super Rugby Association (JSRA). SANZAAR will be taking a more proactive role within its operating structures."
Outgoing Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver said the revised format was a win for rugby fans Down Under.
"Super Rugby in 2018 will reignite the local rivalries here in Australia with home and away derbies returning and fans will be treated to more matches in better timeslots, so this new competition format is a big win for Rugby fans in Australian," Pulver said via an ARU media release.
"The Brumbies are the defending Australian Conference champions but they will face a stern challenge from all other Australian teams after a busy off-season across the country.
"Once again it's going to be an incredibly close race to the finish and we are all hoping to see one of our Australian teams on the podium holding aloft that trophy come the first weekend in August."