Stag Day will set the tone for Otago’s hunt to go one better in the NPC this season.
Otago, who finished runners-up in last year’s competition, will head down the road to meet Southland at Invercargill’s Rugby Park to start the season with the 250th instalment of the passionate rivalry on August 1.
Otago will then return home to put the Ranfurly Shield on the line in a repeat of last year’s final against Canterbury at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 9.
They are also home to Wellington (August 23), Waikato (August 29), Tasman (September 11) and Auckland (October 1).
They are away to Manawatū (August 15), Hawke’s Bay (September 4), Counties Manukau (September 17) and North Harbour (September 26).
The final is scheduled for the weekend of October 24-25.
Otago had a dream season under new coach Mark Brown in 2025 and will be looking to carry that momentum with them into 2026.
The NPC will this season celebrate 50 years of provincial rugby in New Zealand.
The schedule, which was unveiled last night, also revealed the NPC will be broadcast on free-to-air television for the first time in 30 years, alongside Sky Sport’s coverage.
