TheNew Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver previews the ITM Cup.
"The timing, in every sense, is a long way from ideal.
"The national provincial championship, known for the past two seasons as the ITM Cup, this year undergoes a radical overhaul while being shoehorned into the narrow window between the Super 15 and the World Cup.
"Over the next seven days 11 matches will be played. By the time you get your heads around the intricacies of the new format, it will be over and we'll have moved on to our quadrennial anxiety attack.
"This much we can tell you. Last year's 14-team ITM Cup has been split into a seven-team Premiership and seven-team Championship, based on the finishing position in 2010. The top seven - Canterbury, Waikato, Auckland, Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Southland - make up the Premiership. "
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