Double deal for ANZ Cup

ANZ Cup: Set to kick-off on July 31

The Air New Zealand Cup will kick off a five-day rugby feast in July, with double headers on both Thursday and Friday nights of the opening weekend.

The ANZ Cup starts on Thursday July 31 with the final on Saturday October 25.

The match schedules for the ANZ Cup and Heartland Championship (the latter kicks off on Saturday August 23), were released on Friday.

Tasman will host Bay of Plenty and Northland will host Waikato in simultaneous matches on the opening Thursday night, while Taranaki will host North Harbour and Wellington is away to Hawke's Bay in simultaneous matches on the Friday night, August 1.

The schedule leaves the opening Saturday night free of ANZ Cup action as the All Blacks take on the Wallabies in a Bledisloe Cup/Tri-Nations Test at Eden Park, Auckland.

Canterbury versus Manawatu, Southland versus Otago and Counties Manukau versus Auckland complete the action in Week One.

Meanwhile, the draw for the Heartland Championship has also been confirmed.

Last year's Meads Cup winners, North Otago, kick off their campaign against Horowhenua Kapiti in Oamaru on Saturday August 23, while last year's Lochore Cup champions Poverty Bay travel to Te Kuiti to play King Country.

Teams will play in a five-week pool play round. Based on the points from pool play, the top six teams from each pool will go into the Meads Cup pool, while the other six teams will go into the Lochore Cup pool.

The Heartland Championship concludes on 25 October with the Meads and Lochore Cup finals.