Normal Super Rugby order will be restored in 2018, with each Australian Super Rugby club to square off twice in a revamped season format.
SANZAAR have released the draw for the 2018 Super Rugby season and it marks the return of home and away local derbies, adding extra theatre to the race to the top of what will hopefully be an improved Australian Conference.
The four Australian clubs will be joined by the Sunwolves in the Australian Conference, with the season set to kick off on February 17 in South Africa.
The following Friday will mark the start of Australian Conference play, when a new-look Rebels side host the Reds at AAMI Park.
The Brumbies will start their Australian Conference title defence with a trip to Tokyo to face the Sunwolves on Saturday afternoon, before the Waratahs host the Stormers at Allianz Stadium later that night.
Perhaps the news Australian rugby fans will be most pleased to see is the development that just four games will be played in the early hours of the morning, between midnight and 3:30am AEST.
The finals format is also far easier to understand, with the winner of the three conferences joined by the five next best teams across all conferences in an eight team finals series.
Below is the draw for all of the Australian teams.
For the full draw, click here.
DRAW
Super Rugby 2018 season draw (Australian teams only)
Week 1
No matches involving Australian teams (matches in South Africa Conference only)
Week 2
Rebels v Reds 23 Feb Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Sunwolves v Brumbies 24 Feb Sat 3:15pm Prince Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo
Waratahs v Stormers 24 Feb Sat 7:45pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Week 3
Reds v Brumbies 2 Mar Fri 8:00pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (7:00pm AEDT)
Sunwolves v Rebels 3 Mar Sat 8:00pm Singapore National Stadium, Singapore
Sharks v Waratahs 4 Mar Sun 12:05am Growthpoint Kings Park, Durban
Week 4
Rebels v Brumbies 9 Mar Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Reds v Bulls 10 Mar Sat 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (6:45pm AEDT)
Jaguares v Waratahs 11 Mar Sun 8:40am Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Week 5
Brumbies v Sharks 17 Mar Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Jaguares v Reds 18 Mar Sun 8:40am Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Waratahs v Rebels 18 Mar Sun 4:05pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Week 6
Rebels v Sharks 23 Mar Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Stormers v Reds 25 Mar Sun 2:15am DHL Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Brumbies, Waratahs Bye
Week 7 (EASTER)
Rebels v Hurricanes 30 Mar Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne (Good Friday)
Brumbies v Waratahs 31 Mar Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra (Easter Saturday)
Reds Bye
Week 8
Sunwolves v Waratahs 7 Apr Sat 3:15pm Prince Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo
Brumbies v Reds 7 Apr Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Rebels Bye
Week 9
Rebels v Jaguares 14 Apr Sat 3:15pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Highlanders v Brumbies 14 Apr Sat 5:35pm venue TBC
Waratahs v Reds 14 Apr Sat 7:45pm venue TBC
Week 10
Waratahs v Lions 20 Apr Fri 7:45pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Reds v Chiefs 21 Apr Sat 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Bulls v Rebels 21 Apr Sat 11:05pm Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Brumbies v Jaguares 22 Apr Sun 4:05pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Week 11 (ANZAC)
Stormers v Rebels 28 Apr Sat 3:10am DHL Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
Reds v Lions 28 Apr Sat 3:05pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Brumbies v Crusaders 28 Apr Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Waratahs Bye
Week 12
Rebels v Crusaders 4 May Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Waratahs v Blues 5 May Sat 3:05pm venue TBC
Brumbies, Reds Bye
Week 13
Sunwolves v Reds 12 May Sat 1:05pm Prince Chichibu Stadium, Tokyo
Crusaders v Waratahs 12 May Sat 3:15pm venue TBC
Brumbies v Rebels 12 May Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Week 14
Hurricanes v Reds 18 May Fri 5:35pm venue TBC
Waratahs v Highlanders 19 May Sat 7:45pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Lions v Brumbies 20 May Sun 1:15am Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Rebels Bye
Week 15
Rebels v Sunwolves 25 May Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Chiefs v Waratahs 26 May Sat 5:35pm venue TBC
Reds v Highlanders 26 May Sat 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Bulls v Brumbies 26 May Sat 11:05pm Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Week 16
Blues v Rebels 2 Jun Sat 3:15pm venue TBC
Reds v Waratahs 2 Jun Sat 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Brumbies v Sunwolves 3 Jun Sun 4:05pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Week 17
Blues v Reds 29 June Fri 5:35pm venue TBC
Rebels v Waratahs 29 Jun Fri 7:45pm AAMI Park, Melbourne
Brumbies v Hurricanes 30 Jun Sat 7:45pm GIO Stadium, Canberra
Week 18
Reds v Rebels 6 Jul Fri 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Chiefs v Brumbies 7 Jul Sat 3:15pm venue TBC
Waratahs v Sunwolves 7 Jul Sat 7:45pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Week 19
Reds v Sunwolves 13 Jul Fri 7:45pm Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Highlanders v Rebels 14 Jul Sat 3:15pm venue TBC
Waratahs v Brumbies 14 Jul Sat 7:45pm Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Vodafone Super Rugby Finals Series
Qualifiers
Sat 21 Jul
Semi Finals
Sat 28 Jul
Final
Sat 4 Aug
