The brutal time difference and the potentially sleep-inducing rugby can make the Six Nations a bit of hard slog for us Kiwis.
But in the year of a British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, it takes on slightly more significance when it comes to players to watch and teams to follow.
Players to watch
Maro Itoje
Easily one of the top five forwards in the world currently, Itoje has completely broken the mould of an English lock and looks like he'd be more suited playing rugby for a southern hemisphere side.
Not dissimilar in size and style to All Black Brodie Retallick, Itoje will be the first name on Warren Gatland's Lions team list.
Starting at flanker for England's opening Six Nations match against France, Itoje is strong at the breakdown and in the line-out. At just 22 years of age, he's set to be the chief tormenter of the All Blacks come June.
Stuart Hogg
What he lacks in size and height, he makes up in sheer pace, heart and grit.
Hogg has showed glimpses of what he's capable of, particularly at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but to date, hasn't reached the heights one feels he's capable of.
The 24-year-old has the X-factor Scotland would like to see in some of its other players - when he enters a game, good things always happen.
CJ Stander
Far and away Ireland's best forward of the past 18 months, South African-born Stander's impact on the side's burgeoning fortunes has been undeniable.
New Zealanders can expect to see him chalked in somewhere in the Lions back row later this year and he'll certainly be hard to deal with, offering the hard-nosed back loose forward play we're used to seeing from Springbok forwards.
Stander isn't just strong and physical at the breakdown, he's also very powerful with ball in hand.
Dark Horses
France
Named the sleeping giant for the past two years, Guy Noves has already demonstrated his influence on a French side that looks like it's got more life than it's had in years.
A new policy on overseas players from the French Rugby Federation has injected the union with vigour, and it showed with a stirring final performance against the All Blacks in 2017.
With captain Guilhem Guirado leading from the front and backline spark-plugs the likes of Virimi Vakatawa and Noa Nakaitaci, 'Les Bleus' have firepower across the park.
Winners
England
While it may grind many readers' gears, it's hard to discount Eddie Jones' impact on the side and the RFU. He's a bulldog and his team are winners, plain and simple.
His tough coaching regime, which has been attributed to the ample injuries the team has experienced, will pay off.
England won't get it easy and they could lose a match, but they'll likely come up with the goods when it counts.
Disappointment
Wales
The Welsh showed at the World Cup that they are capable of an upset, but there's been a lot of recent upheaval with Sam Warburton stripped of the captaincy.
Head coach Warren Gatland also has one, if not two, eyes on the Lions Tour so it wouldn't have been the best preparation for the squad.
There's no doubt the team has the firepower with Rhys Webb, Dan Biggar and Jamie Roberts in the backline, but whether they can get it together for the tournament remains to be seen.
Newshub.