Otago will play four of its first six games at home in the provincial championship this year while its chances of a Ranfurly Shield challenge looks remote.
The draw for the newly named Mitre 10 Cup was released yesterday as was the draw for the Mitre 10 Heartland Championship.
Otago will kick off its campaign against neighbour Southland in a derby game in Invercargill where the Donald Stuart Memorial Trophy will be up for grabs.
The match is played on a Sunday afternoon and Otago then has to come straight back to Dunedin to take on Wellington four days later.
All teams in the Mitre 10 Cup have to play one game midweek and Otago gets its game over early when it takes on Northland on August 31, the first game of the competition to be played on a Wednesday. The side then has to travel to Bay of Plenty, to play at either Mt Maunganui or Rotorua the following Sunday.
Otago Rugby Football Union general manager Richard Kinley said he was satisfied with the draw.
‘‘The good thing about it is we have got the tight turnaround in early. What we have found is if you have it later everyone is getting a bit tired and sore by then,'' he said.
Five of the last six games are played on Saturdays, which was good for player welfare, he said.
The match against Canterbury in Christchurch has been moved forward to the afternoon to enable the side to get back to Dunedin straight after the game.
Otago does not play Taranaki, Waikato or Hawkes Bay from the Premiership.
It has home games against Premiership sides Tasman and Counties-Manukau but is forced to travel to take on heavyweights Canterbury and Auckland.
Waikato holds the Ranfurly Shield so Otago does not have a direct challenge.
There would have to be a unusual set of circumstances for Otago to get a challenge for the prized trophy.
Manawatu would have to win the trophy and then defend throughout the season to enable Otago to get a crack at the end of the regular season.
The competition is played across nine weeks. Otago made the Championships semifinals last season.
The semifinals will be played over the weekend of October 21-23, with the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final to be played on October 28 and the Premiership final to be played the following day.
North Otago takes on Mid Canterbury in its opening game in Ashburton in the Heartland Championship but has managed to avoid having to play defending champion Wanganui.
Its travels to Ruatoria and Greymouth and also hosts Wairarapa Bush and Thames Valley.
The match between North Otago and South Canterbury on October 8 may be played at Forsyth Barr Stadium although this has to be confirmed.
Otago hosts Counties-Manukau that day so the Heartland Championship game may be a curtain-raiser.
The draw
Otago
Aug 21 v Southland, Invercargill
Aug 25 v Wellington, Forsyth Barr Stadium
Aug 31 v Northland, Forsyth Barr Stadium
Sept 4 v Bay of Plenty, away
Sept 10 v Tasman, Forsyth Barr Stadium
Sept 17 v North Harbour, Forsyth Barr Stadium
Sept 24 v Canterbury, Christchurch
Oct 1 v Auckland, Auckland
Oct 8 v Counties-Manukau, Forsyth Barr Stadium
October 14 v Manawatu, Palmerston North
North Otago
Aug 27 v Mid Canterbury, Ashburton
Sept 3 v Thames Valley, Oamaru
Sept 10 v Horo-Kapiti, Oamaru
Sept 17 v East Coast, Ruatoria
Sept 24 v Wairarapa Bush, Oamaru
Oct 1 v King Country, Te Kuiti
Oct 8 v South Canty, To be confirmed
Oct 15 v West Coast, Greymouth
