The draw for the new expanded Super rugby competition was released late yesterday.
The action starts in the final week of February and will go through until the final at the start of August.
The competition includes three additional teams, with sides coming in from South Africa, Argentina and Japan, and the Highlanders will play two of the three new sides in the 18-team tournament.
The Highlanders will end up virtually travelling around the world in their season as they head to Port Elizabeth to take on the returning Kings and then a week later will go to Argentina to play the South American team.
The draw is one of those where no-one plays everyone. It is about as easy to explain as the Middle East situation.
The teams from New Zealand and Australia are put into one group and then split into an Australian and New Zealand conference.
The 10 teams from Australia and New Zealand all play each other at least once.
The Highlanders will play the Chiefs and Hurricanes twice.
The eight other teams - six from South Africa and the teams from Japan and Argentina - are split into two groups, and one group plays four teams from the Australian conference while the other group plays four of the New Zealand teams.
The Japanese team does not play any New Zealand sides this season.
The Highlanders confirmed yesterday six of their seven home games will be played at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
The actual games to be played at the covered stadium are yet to be confirmed as is the venue of the seventh game.
It is unclear whether the Highlanders will go to Invercargill again or maybe head elsewhere.
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said negotiations were under way.
Invercargill was a candidate for the seventh game and Clark said venues would be confirmed and a full schedule would be released in the next couple of weeks.
He said a draw was what was made out of it.
''You look at last season and we had the worst draw we ever had but we just made the most of it and worked with it,'' he said.
''To us, it has not changed a lot. You still play every New Zealand team, you play every Aussie team, and we get to play two South African teams at home.''
The side plays its first game at home against the Hurricanes on March 5. Clark said that was a great game to start at home, against the side it beat in this year's final.
''A draw is a draw. We have got such a good game to open at home. First week or second week, we should get a good crowd for the Hurricanes.''
The Highlanders play two Australian teams across the Ditch early in the season and will host the Force and the Brumbies.
The draw was delayed for a few weeks while Japan confirmed its entry. Clark said he was confident the Japanese side would front.
Highlanders draw
v Blues, Friday, February 26, Auckland
v Hurricanes, Saturday, March 5, home game
v Lions, Saturday, March 12, home game
v Waratahs, Friday, March 18, Sydney
v Rebels, Saturday, March 26, Melbourne
v Force, Friday, April 1, home game
v Reds, Saturday, April 9, Brisbane
Round 8, bye
v Sharks, Friday, April 22, home game
v Brumbies, Saturday, April 30, home game
v Chiefs, Saturday, May 7, TBC
v Crusaders, Friday, May 13, home game
Round 13, bye
v Hurricanes, Friday, May 27, TBC
v Kings, Saturday, July 2, Port Elizabeth
v Argentina, Saturday, July 9, TBC
v Chiefs, Saturday, July 16, home game
NB: Six of the seven Highlanders' home games will be at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Home games have not yet been allocated.
