The Sunwolves will kick off their second Super Rugby season by playing the defending champions, the Hurricanes, in Tokyo in late February, tournament organizer SANZAAR said Tuesday.
The fixture is just one of four games Filo Tiatia’s side will play in Tokyo. The other three “home” games are scheduled to be played in Singapore.
Following the opening game on Feb. 25 — just four weeks after the All-Japan Championship final — the Sunwolves will spend four weeks away from Japan, beginning and ending in Singapore with two games in South Africa in between.
The Bulls visit Tokyo April 8, before the Sunwolves head off on a trip that sees them play three games in New Zealand and one in Buenos Aires.
Following a week off, Tiatia and his men then travel to Singapore to play the Sharks before returning to Tokyo to take on the Cheetahs.
After the June test-match window, the Sunwolves travel back to South Africa for two games before finishing the regular season in Tokyo on July 15 against the Blues.
Early estimates have the Sunwolves traveling 110,000 km, while the Chiefs in comparison will travel just 39,000 km.
At present, Tiatia is the only member of the coaching and playing staff to have been officially named by the Sunwolves management.
Sunwolves 2017 Super Rugby Schedule
Feb. 25 Hurricanes —Tokyo
March 4 Kings — Singapore
March 11 Cheetahs — Bloemfontein, South Africa
March 17 Bulls — Pretoria
March 25 — Stormers Singapore
April 8 Bulls — Tokyo
April 14 Crusaders — Christchurch, New Zealand
April 22 Highlanders — (to be confirmed)
April 29 Chiefs — (to be confirmed)
May 6 Jaguares — Buenos Aires
May 20 Sharks — Singapore
May 27 Cheetahs — Tokyo
July 1 Lions — Johannesburg
July 8 Stormers — Cape Town
July 15 Blues — Tokyo
