Sanzaar announced on Sunday night its plan to cut three teams from next year's competition. Which of the three teams to be axed has yet to be announced.
The Australian Rugby Union said yesterday either the Force or Rebels would be axed with a decision due by the end of the week. The two South African sides to be cut are still to be decided but it is expected to be the Cheetahs and the Kings.
The five New Zealand teams will play in their own conference, while the four Australian teams will be joined by the Sunwolves in their conference. The four remaining South African teams will be joined by the Jaguares in an African conference.
In essence, the competition goes back to the structure it had in 2011-15, when all teams played 16 games, eight home and eight away.
Each side will play eight derby games and then four games each against sides from the other conferences. So one team from the Australian conference and one team from the South African conference will not take on a New Zealand side each year.
Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark said his franchise wanted the best competition possible.
``From a fans and sponsors' perspective, that is what we want. Sanzaar have had strategic workshops all the way through with chairmen and chief executives and made us aware of what is happening,'' Clark said.
``You can do all the talking you want but in the end somebody has to make the decision and that is what they have done.''
Crowds were biggest when New Zealand derbies were played. There was a perception among many fans that games against foreign sides were not as competitive as derby matches but that was not true, Clark said. Every game the Highlanders played was a tough match.
Under the new system, eight teams will qualify for the playoffs. In 2011-15, only six teams qualified for the finals.
Under the current 18-team structure, eight teams qualify for the finals. That is made up of the four conference winners and the four next-best teams on points although one of those teams placed fifth to eighth on the table must be a team from the African group.
That makes it impossible this season for all five New Zealand teams to qualify for the final.
From next year, the conference winners qualify for the playoffs along with the next five teams, regardless of the points total. So all five New Zealand sides can make the playoffs from next year.
However, with more derby games it may not be possible for all New Zealand sides to get high enough up the ladder to get in the top eight.
Another plus for the Highlanders was it had a guaranteed eight home games every year.
In the 18-team competition, it has eight home games one year and then seven home games the next.
Clark said the extra game every second year was a real plus for the franchise.