2017 Super Rugby draw announced..

 ... the same conference system with the same playoff structure retained as this year and the same free ride for SA into the finals...doesn't matter as we all know how that will play out...

Sanzaar is looking at expansion into Nth America or Europe the following year according to dopey Sanzar boss Andy Morono...

A feature of next years comp will be Thursday evening games...

...A June Test window remains in the draw, to accommodate for international Tests, particularly the British & Irish Lions series in New Zealand.
 

...After this year playing the teams in the Africa 2 conference - the Lions, Sharks, Jaguares and Kings - the New Zealand sides will instead play those in Africa 1 - the Stormers, Bulls, Cheetahs and Sunwolves - in 2017.

..It means first-time trips to Japan for the Hurricanes, Blues and Crusaders, while it also means that 2016 finalists the Lions may be well placed to repeat their fine season, with no matches against the perennially strong Kiwi teams.

...Next year's pre-season will take on a new twist, with the inaugural Brisbane Global Tens tournament at Suncorp Stadium on February 11-12, featuring all 10 teams from New Zealand and Australia, along with South Africa's Bulls, France's Toulon, Japan's Panasonic Wild Knights, and the Samoan international team. - looking forward to the 10s...

NZ TEAMS' DRAWS (NZ times)

BLUES
Rd 1, Thurs 23 Feb, 9.45pm, v Rebels, Melbourne
Rd 2, Fri 3 Mar, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, away
Rd 3, Sat 11 Mar, 7.35pm, v Highlanders, home
?Rd 4, Fri 17 Mar, 7.35pm, v Crusaders, Christchurch
Rd 5, Sat 25 Mar, 7.35pm, v Bulls, home
Rd 6, Sat 1 Apr, 5.15pm, v Force, home
?Rd 7, Sat 8 Apr, 7.35pm, v Highlanders, away
Rd 8 (Easter), Sat 15 Apr, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, home
Rd 9, Bye
Rd 10, Sun 30 Apr, 6.05pm v Brumbies, Canberra
Rd 11, Sat 6 May, 9.45pm, v Waratahs, Sydney
Rd 12, Fri 12 May, 7.35pm, v Cheetahs, home
Rd 13, Sat 20 May, 5am, v Stormers, Cape Town
Rd 14, Fri 26 May, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, home
Rd 15 (Aus & NZ only), Fri 2 Jun, 7.35pm, v Reds, home
Rd 16 (NZ only), Bye
Rd 17, Sat 15 Jul, 3.05pm, v Sunwolves, Tokyo

CHIEFS
Rd 1, Fri 24 Feb, 7.35pm, v Highlanders, away
Rd 2, Fri 3 Mar, 7.35pm, v Blues, home
?Rd 3, Fri 10 Mar, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, home
Rd 4, Fri 17 Mar, 9.45pm, v Rebels, Melbourne
Rd 5, Bye
Rd 6, Sat 1 Apr, 7.35pm, v Bulls, home
Rd 7, Sun 9 Apr, 3.15am, v Stormers, Cape Town
Rd 8 (Easter), Sun 16 Apr, 1.05am, v Cheetahs, Bloemfontein
Rd 9, Sat 22 Apr, 11.55pm, v Force, Perth
Rd 10, Sat 29 Apr, 7.35pm, v Sunwolves, home
Rd 11, Sat 6 May, 7.35pm, v Reds, home
Rd 12, Bye
Rd 13, Fri 19 May, 7.35pm, v Crusaders, home
Rd 14, Fri 26 May, 7.35pm, v Blues, away
Rd 15 (Aus & NZ only), Fri 2 Jun, 5.05pm, v Waratahs, home
Rd 16 (NZ only), Fri 9 Jun, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, away
Rd 17, Sat 15 Jul, 5.15pm, v Brumbies, home

CRUSADERS
Rd 1, Sat 25 Feb, 7.35pm, v Brumbies, Christchurch
Rd 2, Sat 4 Mar, 7.35pm, v Highlanders away
Rd 3, Sat 11 Mar, 9.45pm, v Reds, Brisbane
Rd 4, Fri 17 Mar, 7.35pm, v Blues, Christchurch
Rd 5, Fri 24 Mar, 7.35pm, v Force, Christchurch
Rd 6, Sun 2 Apr, 6.05pm, v Waratahs, Sydney
Rd 7, Bye
Rd 8 (Easter), Fri 14 Apr, 7.35pm, v Sunwolves, Christchurch
Rd 9, Sat 22 Apr, 7.35pm, v Stormers, Christchurch
Rd 10, Sun 30 Apr, 3.15am, v Cheetahs, Bloemfontein
Rd 11, Sun 7 May, 3.15am, v Bulls, Pretoria
Rd 12, Sat 13 May, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, Christchurch
?Rd 13, Fri 19 May, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, away
Rd 14, Sat 27 May, 9.45pm, v Rebels, Melbourne
Rd 15 (Aus & NZ only), Sat 3 Jun, 2.35pm, v Highlanders, Christchurch
?Rd 16 (NZ only), Bye
Rd 17, Sat 15 Jul, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, away 

HIGHLANDERS
Rd 1, Fri 24 Feb, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, home
?Rd 2, Sat 4 Mar, 7.35pm, v Crusaders, home
Rd 3, Sat 11 Mar, 7.35pm, v Blues, away
?Rd 4, Sat 18 Mar, 7.35pm, v Hurricanes, away
Rd 5, Sat 25 Mar, 9.45pm, v Brumbies, Canberra
Rd 6, Fri 31 Mar, 7.35pm, v Rebels, home
Rd 7, Sat 8 Apr, 7.35pm, v Blues, home
Rd 8, (Easter), Bye
Rd 9, Sat 22 Apr, 5.15pm, v Sunwolves, home
Rd 10, Fri 28 Apr, 7.35pm, v Stormers, home
Rd 11, Sat 6 May, 5am, v Cheetahs, Bloemfontein
Rd 12, Sun 14 May, 1.05am, v Bulls, Pretoria
Rd 13, Sat 20 May, 9.45pm, v Force, Perth
Rd 14, Sat 27 May, 7.35pm, v Waratahs, home
Rd 15 (Aus & NZ only), Sat 3 Jun, 2.35pm, v Crusaders, Christchurch
?Rd 16 (NZ only), Bye
Rd 17, Fri 14 Jul, 7.35pm, v Reds, home

HURRICANES
Rd 1, Sat 25 Feb, 5.15pm, v Sunwolves, Tokyo
Rd 2, Sat 4 Mar, 5.15pm, v Rebels, home
??Rd 3, Fri 10 Mar, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, away
Rd 4, Sat 18 Mar, 7.35pm, v Highlanders, home
Rd 5, Bye
Rd 6, Sat 1 Apr, 9.45pm, v Reds, Brisbane
Rd 7, Fri 7 Apr, 7.35pm, v Waratahs, home
Rd 8 (Easter), Sat 15 Apr, 7.35pm, v Blues, away
Rd 9, Fri 21 Apr, 7.35pm, v Brumbies, home
Rd 10, Bye
Rd 11, Fri 5 May, 7.35pm, v Stormers, home
Rd 12, Sat 13 May, 7.35pm, v Crusaders, away
Rd 13, Sat 20 May, 7.35pm, v Cheetahs, home
Rd 14, Sun 28 May, 1.05am, v Bulls, Pretoria
Rd 15 (Aus & NZ only), Sat 3 Jun, 11.55pm, v Force, Perth
Rd 16 (NZ only), Fri 9 Jun, 7.35pm, v Chiefs, home
Rd 17, Sat 15 Jul, 7.35pm, v Crusaders, home 

PLAYOFFS
Quarterfinals, 21-22 Jul
Semifinals, 28-29 Jul
Final, 5 Aug

Waratahs Observations:

• Start with a Saturday night clash against the Force
• Get their South African tour over with early (round 2 & 3) taking on the Lions and Sharks.
• Sunday arvo footy against the Crusaders at Allianz
• Have the bye for the easter weekend
• Have home matches against the Jaguares and Kings and don’t play the Sunwolves.
• Don’t play the Reds at home this season.

Brumbies Observations:

• First game of the season is away to the Crusaders
• Don’t play the Waratahs at home this season
• Have the Highlanders at home in Round 5
• Are away to the Rebels over the Easter weekend.
• Travel to face the Hurricanes on the ANZAC weekend
• Take on the Kings and Jaguares in the road (Rnd 13 and 14)

Reds Observations:

• Open the season with a home match against the Sharks
• Face the Force on a Thursday night game in Round 2
• Home game v the Crusaders in Round 3
• Away trip is Lions and Jaguares (Rnd 4 and 5)
• Host the Kings on a Saturday arvo game in Round 8
• Clash v the Tahs at Suncorp in Round 10

Rebels Observations:

• Open the season with the Thursday evening clash against the Blues at home.
• Host the Chiefs and Tahs at home early in the season.
• Travel to South Africa to take on the Sharks and Kings
• Host the Crusaders and Jaguares at home in the last round of the season.
• Host the Lions in an arvo game in Round 11

Force Observations:

• Travel to Sydney for their first game of the season v the Tahs.
• First home game is a Thursday evening match against the Reds
• Face the Crusaders and Blues away from home on concurrent weekends.
• Host the Chiefs at home as part of the ANZAC weekend
• Have a Saturday arvo game against the Kings in Round 7
• Take on the Sharks and Kings on their South African tour

 Didn't the Lions play all five NZ teams and beat four of them this year?

Yep

Who would of thought that, given the comments here

 ...same as last year Sharkbok

After this year playing the teams in the Africa 2 conference - the Lions, Sharks, Jaguares and Kings - the New Zealand sides will instead play those in Africa 1 - the Stormers, Bulls, Cheetahs and Sunwolves - in 2017.

 ...yea Wardad the Stormers free ticket to the finals

 turned out to be a poison chalice last year...and the coach complained their demise against the Chiefs was the result of not playing any Kiwi teams.... but I think the Lions might be made of sterner stuff..

 ...mate we might have a bit of a dig but we don't see SA teams being enough of a threat to be overly concerned about the draw...

...what's important is we are being assured of some 'enthralling' rugby by Saanzaar boss Andy Morono next year...and with further expansion promising even better things to come in 2018 with a team introduced from the Americas and another one from Mars..

..at least we know Super Rugby is in great hands ...