The Highlanders will have home advantage at the start of next season but will be on the road for the final six games of the competition.
A feature of the draw, released yesterday, is a top-heavy draw for the Highlanders. After starting with a bye, five of their first six games are at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The Highlanders have arranged a warm-up game, against the New Zealand Barbarians, in their opening bye week.
Under the format used by the competition in which teams play only four opponents from other countries, the Highlanders will not play against the Bulls and the Rebels next season.
The Highlanders will kick off their season proper with the marquee match against the Crusaders on February 21 in Dunedin.
The only match away from the stadium in the first six games is against the Chiefs in Hamilton, on March 6.
The Highlanders get their second bye in round eight and then have to play 10 games in a row, the first the return match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on April 11. Just two of those 10 games will be at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
They will journey to Africa in May and then play the Force in Perth, before a home game against the Chiefs on May 30.
Forsyth Barr Stadium is being used for games for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, so the game against the Chiefs will have to be played elsewhere.
It appears likely the game will be played either in Invercargill or Queenstown. If the match is in Queenstown, it will be played during the day.
The Highlanders finish with tough games away, against the Hurricanes and the Blues.
As it is World Cup year, there are no in-bound tours from northern hemisphere teams, so there will be no break in in June.
The playoffs are scheduled to start on June 19, with the final set for July 4.
The Highlanders have pre-season matches against the Crusaders, at a venue to be confirmed on January 23, and in Australia against the Brumbies and the Rebels.
