Super Rugby Pacific champions the Crusaders will play Irish club Munster and England's Bristol next February, their first matches on Northern Hemisphere soil since they played at Twickenham following the 2011 earthquakes.
There has been talk for many years about the Super Rugby champions playing their northern counterparts and it has finally come to pass, although the Crusaders will be without departing stars Richie Mo'unga, Sam Whitelock and Leicester Fainga'anuku.
They will also be without head coach Scott Robertson, who by then will be into All Blacks mode.
It will be his replacement Rob Penney's first matches in charge of the team. The Crusaders are scheduled to play Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick on February 3 and the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on February 9.
Penney will want to take a large squad in order to build relationships and combinations but it will remain to be seen how many of his senior All Blacks will be travelling following the World Cup.
Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said: "The Crusaders are thrilled to be coming over to the UK [and Ireland] to face some stiff competition away from home.
"New Zealand and Australian clubs have working on the World Club Competition for years, so when an opportunity for Super teams to play Northern Hemisphere counterparts came up, it was just too good to pass up," Mansbridge said.
Munster, who famously beat the All Blacks in 1978, are the United Rugby Championship title holders, having beaten defending champions the Stormers in Cape Town in May. It was their fourth title win.
"Munster have a history of giving touring sides a pretty hard time, so they present particularly tough competition. There's also the added connection with our new head coach Rob Penney who coached there," Mansbridge said.
The Bristol Bears, coached by Kiwi Pat Lam, a former Blues coach, play in England's Premiership Rugby and topped the table in the 2020-21 season. They took out the Challenge Cup in 2019-2020, beating European Champions Toulon.
"It's exciting to play against a club of Bristol's calibre, and one that we already have a relationship with. Razor and Pat Lam have been close for a long time, and Bristol Bears Academy member Andrew Turner made his Crusaders debut this year," Mansbridge said.
"It's also a fantastic chance for our new coaching group to connect, and for our playing group to travel and compete together in a new environment."
Lam said: "To be able to welcome one of the best club sides on the planet to Ashton Gate is incredibly special and this fixture is a unique opportunity for our players, staff and supporters.
"The Crusaders are the reigning Super Rugby champions and we're relishing the opportunity to take on the best club side in the Southern Hemisphere at what is sure to be a packed-out Ashton Gate," Lam said.
Ian Flanagan, Munster Rugby chief executive, said the club was "delighted to welcome the Super Rugby champions to Munster, hosting a ground-breaking fixture against the Crusaders".
"We hold a proud and rich history of playing touring sides and I've no doubt next February's game will be a special occasion for all involved," Flanagan said.
The Crusaders memorably beat the Sharks, from Durban, at Twickenham in 2011 after the match was hastily scheduled to help raise revenue for the franchise, which couldn't play in Christchurch for the entire season due to the damage to the now demolished Lancaster Park.
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