The bad news is the NPC is undergoing its 137th change in format.
The good news is the "Odds and Evens" nonsense has been kicked to touch after one season.
New Zealand rugby’s once-imperious national championship will return to a simple one-pool, one-points table format this season, the national body announced yesterday.
All 14 teams will appear in a single table, and eight of them will qualify for the quarterfinals.
It brings an end to the ludicrous system, which blessedly lasted just one season, where there were two pools with the stunningly original names of "Odds" and "Evens", the top four of which made the playoffs.
Otago battled to fifth in the Odds pool last year, despite having a roster stacked with Super Rugby players, but would have finished eighth-equal in a combined pool.
Another feature of the draw released yesterday is a series of earlier kick-off times.
No fewer than 46 of the 77 games would have "family-friendly" starts, including a bunch of 4.35pm kick-offs, New Zealand Rugby announced.
Otago plays the opening game of the competition against Tasman in Nelson on Friday, August 4, kicking off at 5.35pm.
The first game at Forsyth Barr Stadium is against defending champion and Ranfurly Shield holder Wellington — not that the Log o’ Wood will be up for grabs — on Saturday, August 12.
Otago then heads to Napier to play Hawke’s Bay (August 20) before the always anticipated derby with Southland in Dunedin on August 26.
Otago’s remaining games are against Bay of Plenty (Rotorua, September 2), Northland (Dunedin, September 10), Taranaki (Dunedin, September 16), Waikato (Hamilton, September 24) and Counties-Manukau (Dunedin, October 1).
Quarterfinals follow on October 6-8, semifinals on October 13-14, and the final on October 20.
The Stags open with a home game against Waikato on August 6.
They will get the first crack at the Ranfurly Shield when they head to Wellington on August 19.
Wellington’s other scheduled defences are against Tasman, Counties-Manukau, North Harbour and Hawke’s Bay.
