New Zealand's fiercest Super rugby rivals will kick off the 2012 Super 15 with a Friday-night clash at Eden Park.
The February 24 match between the Blues and Crusaders kicks off an opening round that has six local derbies, including the Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith-led Chiefs taking on theHighlanders the next night in Hamilton.
The Blues have a tricky start to the campaign, taking on last year's finalists before heading south to Hamilton, then a long way west, where they face South Africa's two strongest franchises, the Bulls and Stormers.
In week five they host the Hurricanes before getting a bye.
By contrast, the Chiefs host the Highlanders and Blues before travelling to Christchurch. They return home to face the Brumbies before getting a rest in week five.
The key features of the draw are five Sunday fixtures, a Thursday-night match between the Rebels and Blues ahead of Easter weekend, and Anzac weekend clashes between Reds and Blues and Waratahs and Crusaders.
The most contentious issue is the three-week break for the international in-bound tours.
"The season will run for 15 weeks to June 2," Sanzar CEO Greg Peters said. "The season will resume on the weekend of June 29 and 30 with the staging of a further three rounds before the playoffs. The bulk of these matches will be local derbies."
Meanwhile, Cory Jane has re-signed with the Hurricanes for next year's competition. The controversial wing announced the news on Twitter yesterday after speculation he might head overseas at the end of the year.
