King Country will challenge for the Ranfurly Shield when they take on holders and neighbours Taranaki in Inglewood on July 27.
King Country were one of seven unions who formally requested the opportunity to challenge for provincial rugby's greatest prize and Taranaki Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the decision to grant King Country the first challenge of the season was driven by a strong shared history and the fact the unions were neighbours.
Taranaki will confirm the rest of their pre-season fixtures this week.
