Earnscleugh has hit a bump in the road in the middle of a solid season as it battles to keep the four points it collected from a 19-18 win over Upper Clutha a fortnight ago.
Every time the White Horse Cup changes hands, it evokes extra emotion and gets the Central Otago community excited and talking about rugby again.
Four teams - table-topping Arrowtown and Upper Clutha A, along with 2013 champion Maniototo and White Horse Cup holder Wakatipu - remain unbeaten after three rounds of the Central Otago rugby competition.
It seems the problems with the format of Central Otago rugby last season have not gone away.
Central Otago premier rugby starts today. Rhys Chamberlain assesses the prospects of the 12 teams.
North Otago batsman Ben Cant was the thorn in the side of Otago Country cricket fans as the home side bowed out of contention to challenge for the Hawke Cup with a first innings loss in Alexandra over the weekend.
Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown was positive about his side's performance in its opening Super 15 pre-season match, a scrappy 15-11 win over the Brumbies in Queenstown last night.
Otago Country won the South Island Primary Schools Cricket Tournament in Gore last week, and five of the team's players were selected for the Otago squad.
Otago Country finished its season on a high with a gutsy 15-10 win over Southland Country at Nightcaps on Saturday.
Otago Country coach Roger Cotton is upbeat about his side's chances against Canterbury Country in Cromwell tomorrow, despite suffering three losses from three games this season.
Maniototo became the champion of Central Otago rugby for 2013 with an emphatic win over home side Wakatipu on Saturday.
It promises to be an exciting match-up when Wakatipu hosts Maniototo in the final of the Central Otago premier competition today.
It is shaping up to be another big year in Central Otago club rugby. Rhys Chamberlain assesses the prospects of the premier teams.
Otago Country goes into its final Hawke Cup qualifier this weekend in Alexandra against joint leader South Canterbury needing maximum points to move ahead of it, as well as North Otago. If that happens, Otago Country will win the zone and qualify to challenge for the cup, held by Bay of Plenty.
North Otago (12 points), tied in first place with South Canterbury after the first three rounds, will play Southland (6) in a two-day Hawke Cup elimination game in Invercargill this weekend.
North Otago will go into this weekend's Hawke Cup elimination match against Otago Country in Oamaru bolstered by the return of its pace spearhead.
Otago Country failed to record a win in five matches in 2012 after a 40-12 loss to Canterbury Country in its final match in Dunsandel on Saturday afternoon.
Otago Country will want to put the 50-24 loss to Otago Development last week to one side and make amends when it plays Southland Development in Invercargill this afternoon.
Otago Country has enlisted the services of some Dunedin-based players for its match against Otago Development at the University Oval today.
Otago Country started its season with a 45-3 loss to Southland Country in Waikaka on Saturday.
