The Waikato Chiefs and Auckland Blues will travel to Japan in February for games against top local teams in preparation for the Super Rugby Pacific season, officials said Friday.
The Blues will play Suntory Sungoliath in Tokyo on Feb. 3, and the Chiefs take on the Panasonic Wild Knights the next day in Saitama.
The following weekend, the Kubota Spears Funabashi, who recently signed All Blacks hooker Dane Coles, will host the Chiefs with Yokohama Canon Eagles tackling the Blues.
"Get ready for world-class rugby," said Genichi Tamatsuka, chairman of Japan's Rugby League One competition.
"This marks the realization of our plan to host matches between top-level club teams and League One teams."
In May, rugby chiefs in Japan and New Zealand signed a wide-ranging deal to see their national teams play each other more often.
The agreement included plans for New Zealand's franchise teams to play Japanese sides outside the Super Rugby season.
The new Super Rugby campaign kicks off on February 23 when the Chiefs host the defending champion Canterbury Crusaders.