Panasonic Wild Knights will face some familiar faces when they take part in the inaugural Global Brisbane Tens in February.

The reigning Japan Rugby Top League champions are one of 14 sides taking part in the tournament and were drawn Wednesday in Pool A alongside the Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels from Australia and the Chiefs from New Zealand.

"We are very honored to participate in the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens," said Wild Knights wing Yoshikazu Fujita.

"As Panasonic Wild Knights, we have been given a great opportunity to prove our ability against world-class teams. We will aim high in this tournament. Personally, I am looking forward to playing against players who I played with for Japan at last year's Rugby World Cup — (Amanaki Lelei) Mafi and (Michael) Leitch — and also (Taqele) Naiyaravoro, my current teammate at the Wild Knights."

Mafi has opted to play for the Rebels in next year's Super Rugby competition and former Japan captain Leitch will head to Hamilton to play for the Chiefs, while Naiyaravoro will return to the Waratahs following his spell in Japan.

Panasonic coach Robbie Deans said finding out who his team was playing "would bring things into focus and make the players realize it's not far off.

"It's a good opportunity for our blokes to perform on a different stage and it's an opportunity that won't be wasted."

For most of the teams taking part, the tournament will be a crucial preseason building block. But for the Wild Knights it comes at the end of the domestic season.

It means the players will not have too much time to get accustomed to the abbreviated format, but Deans is hopeful the "responsibility of representing Japan" will see them rise to the occasion.

Wednesday's draw threw up a number of other enticing clashes.

Pool B sees tournament hosts the Reds take on Samoa and the New Zealand pair of the Crusaders and the Blues, who will contain another Panasonic old boy in Sonny Bill Williams.

Australian side the Brumbies are up against the Highlanders from New Zealand and the Blue Bulls from South Africa in Pool C, while reigning Super Rugby champions the Hurricanes travel from Wellington to play the Western Force from Australia and Ayumu Goromaru's Toulon, which will be in a mid-season break from the French Top 14.