Shute Shield organisers are hopeful that crowds in some form will be able to attend matches when the competition kicks off next month.
The NSW competition announced its 2020 draw on Friday, kicking off on July 18 with a 13-round regular season and three weeks of finals.
A Sydney Uni vs Warringah opener is among the highlights in the first round while Randwick will be the first team to face off against new inclusion Newcastle.
Most teams will be playing out of their home grounds, though a number are in negotiation with their local cricket organisations about the use of the ground with an unprecedented overlap in the seasons.
West Harbour are playing their early home games at Drummoyne Oval with usual home ground Concord Oval undergoing a redevelopment.
Some teams will look at playing in regional areas as well, as Sydney Uni has done in Mudgee in recent seasons.
The timings of matches is still to be a number of matches are being considered for night time slots, including the October 31 grand final.
While it is expected that stadiums will be allowed up to 25 per cent capacity for professional sport, no recommendations have been released about community sports and matches.
If crowds are allowed, SRU president Phillip Parsons said he was confident all grounds could adhere to any restrictions necessary with ovals all gated and matches ticketed.
"I think there are two principles under which we could have crowds - either we have crowds under 25 per cent of the ground capacity or crowds with social distancing.
"Within those principles, we're comfortable with that. In grass areas where there might not be seating, we can organise marking for the square-metre restrictions."
Sydney's clubs will return to full contact training on July 1, just under three weeks before the season opener.
Penrith and Newcastle have been included in the competition after premier grade absences but SRU president Phillip Parsons said there was no guarantee that they would be in the competition in 2021.
"It's a bit too far down the track for us to make a call on that yet," he said.
"This is an opportunity for us to review everything with rugby, this whole thing is an opportunity, we want to take the lessons from COVID and we'll be watching changes to the rules in Super Rugby with interest as well.
"We want to take this as a learning experience but we've also pulled the trigger on our social contract with our rugby community .
"We want to play our part in normalising people's lives and a big part of people's lives is going to rugby and other community sport on a Saturday, watching their kids slide down the hill on a bit of cardboard, having pie and a beer and w'eve met that obligation and we're proud of it."
Parsons had previously suggested the competition might look at rule changes but that idea was put on the back burner.
DRAW
Shute Shield Draw
ROUND 1
July 18
Gordon vs Easts
Souths vs Eastwood
Manly vs Western Sydney
West Harbour vs Norths
Randwick vs Newcastle
Warringah vs Sydney UNi
ROUND 2
July 25
Easts vs West Harbour
Newcastle vs Eastwood
Gordon vs Western Sydney
Sydney Uni vs Manly
Norths vs Penrith
Randwick vs Warringah
ROUND 3
August 1
Warringah vs Easts
Eastwood vs West Harbour
Manly vs Norths
Western Sydney vs Randwick
Penrith vs Souths
Newcastle vs Sydney Uni
Round 4
August 8
Easts vs Eastwood
Gordon vs Warringah
Manly vs Newcastle
Souths vs two Blues
Sydney Uni vs Penrith
West Harbour vs Randwick
ROUND 5
August 15
Western Sydney vs Eastwood
Manly vs Gordon
Norths vs Newcastle
Randwick vs Penrith
Sydney Uni vs Souths
Warringah vs West Harbour
ROUND 6
August 22
Norths vs Easts
Eastwood vs Sydney Uni
Newcastle vs Gordon
West Harbour vs Manly
Penrith vs Warringah
Souths vs Randwick
ROUND 7
August 29
Newcastle vs Easts
Randwick vs Eastwood
West Harbour vs Gordon
Penrith vs Manly
Norths vs Western Sydney
Warringah vs Souths
ROUND 8
September 5
Souths vs Easts
Norths vs Eastwood
Randwick vs Gordon
Manly vs Warringah
Sydney Uni vs West Harbour
Western Sydney vs Penrith
ROUND 9
September 12
Easts vs Sydney Uni
Eastwood vs Manly
Gordon vs Souths
Norths vs Randwick
Western Sydney vs Newcastle
Penrith vs West Harbour
ROUND 10
September 19
Manly vs Easts
Eastwood vs Penrith
Gordon vs Norths
Warringah vs Western Sydney
Sydney Uni vs Randwick
Souths vs Newcastle
Round 11
September 26
Easts vs Penrith
Gordon vs Sydney Uni
Randwick vs Manly
Norths vs Souths
West Harbour vs Western Sydney
Newcastle vs Warringah
ROUND 12
October 3
Western Sydney vs Easts
Eastwood vs Warringah
Penrith vs Gordon
Souths vs Manly
Sydney Uni vs Norths
Newcastle vs West Harbour
ROUND 13
October 10
Easts vs Randwick
Eastwood vs Gordon
Warringah vs Norths
Western Sydney vs Sydney Uni
Penrith vs Newcastle
West Harbour vs Souths
FINALS
October 17 - Semi-finals
October 24 - Elimination finals
October 31 - Grand final
