Hayden Meikle

Daniel Bowden is a confident young man but he is keeping his head firmly screwed on as he reflects on the most difficult season of his career.

Highlanders backs James Wilson and Niva Ta'auso appear to have paid the price for the poor performance against the Bulls by being dropped for the Stormers game this weekend.

Southland first five-eighth Blair Stewart has raced to South Africa to replace concussed Highlanders rookie Daniel Bowden.

The Highlanders are struggling, there are no All Blacks in Dunedin and the Otago union has axed a third of its contracted players.

One step forward and a few giant leaps backwards. Just when it seemed the Highlanders were making steady progress in their bid to rescue a doomed season, they go and do this.

Highlanders forward Hoani MacDonald is reported to have signed for Welsh club Newport Gwent.

Highlanders coach Glenn Moore has seen hints of encouragement all season but he was feeling only dismay as he reflected on the abject loss to the Bulls yesterday.

Coach Don Sims hopes the Otago Nuggets will continue their resurgence and add to the Waikato Pistons' pain in Te Awamutu tonight.

In the third profile in our series looking at people behind the scenes in the Highlanders camp, Hayden Meikle talks to Wayne Inch.

Southern rugby fans will get to be first in, first served when tickets go on public sale in early June for the test between the All Blacks and the Springboks at Carisbrook.

Every few years, Otago University rugby seems to produce a Josh. There was Josh Kronfeld, the peerless All Black flanker, and then Josh Blackie, the Highlanders captain unlucky to wear the black jersey only at sevens level.

James Wilson and the Highlanders were hurting last night after they narrowly failed to seal a dramatic upset win against the Sharks at Carisbrook.

After a win and a near-win against South African sides, Highlanders coach Glenn Moore is confident his side will find success on the road.

The success of the New Zealand Open at Arrowtown has contributed to a dramatic swing in financial fortunes for New Zealand Golf.

Adam Thomson is delighted to have a single digit on his back tonight and has vowed to make the most of a rare start for the Highlanders.

Glenn Moore has made one of the boldest selection calls of his brief Highlanders tenure by demoting experienced halfback Jimmy Cowan to the bench for tomorrow's game against the Sharks.

Things are going from bad to worse for the slumping Highlanders, who can now add a loose forward crisis to the shame of being last in the Super 14.