Rugby Australia has reinstated a vital "third tier" competition, confirming Super Rugby AUS will kick off in September this year at both senior and under 19 level.
Six years on from the National Rugby Championship's final season, RA has finally found a way to help strengthen its talent pyramid and bridge the gap between club- and Super Rugby.
The country's four Super Rugby teams - the ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Western Force - will face off against each other over three rounds, with the top two teams then contesting a Grand Final.
The Under 19 competition will run alongside it, and include multiple double-headers, while an under 16 division will begin two weeks later.
"We have worked closely with the Super Rugby clubs to identify a suitable window within our domestic competition calendar to play more meaningful, quality matches," Ben Whitaker, RA's general manager of men's high performance, said.
"This first iteration of Super Rugby AUS will address that need, support the ongoing growth and development of the players and high performance staff, and give rugby fans more opportunities to watch their favourite Super Rugby teams in action.
"The Super Rugby Pacific season is relatively short and sharp, and the contracted players who aren't involved with Wallabies can go a long time between games at that level, especially once club rugby finals commence in August.
"Super Rugby AUS will also be an opportunity to showcase the best emerging player and coaching talent out of club rugby, along with the national and Super Rugby pathway programs."
The now-defunct National Rugby Championship proved a key part of Australian's talent base, helping to bring through current Wallabies stars Taniela Tupou, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson, among others, giving them a higher quality of rugby as opposed to that found in the club competitions across Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra.
But it was also a drain on the limited financial resources of Rugby Australia, which made it an easy asset to cut following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of 2020.
The new Super Rugby AUS competition, which does not include Fijian Drua, who have since established themselves in Super Rugby Pacific, will not carry such a heavy cost base as its predecessor.
The Australian Rugby Championship served a similar purpose way back in 2007, but it did not survive beyond its inaugural season.
Super Rugby AUS brings Australian rugby back in line with New Zealand and South Africa in having a formalized third-tier tournament, with those two countries having long benefited from the production line that comes through the NPC [Mitre 10 Cup] and Currie Cup tournaments respectively.