There will be six premier grade teams in contention for the Galbraith Shield when the Southland club rugby season kicks off on Saturday.
Over 50 Southland players have had access to quality early season rugby through their involvement in either Super Rugby, the Highlanders Bravehearts, a Southland XV or the Highlanders under-20s.
Star are the Galbraith Shield holders after beating Pirates Old Boys in the final last year.
Star have assembled another strong squad and will be under the guidance of head coach Brayden Mitchell again this year.
Stags prop Jack Sexton has had a preseason with the Bravehearts, while Star will be without their powerful No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa while he is starring for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby.
Star will host Pirates Old Boys at Waverley Park on Saturday.
Pirates Old Boys are celebrating their 25th season this year.
Dayna Cunningham is the head coach at POB, but while he has been away helping coach the Highlanders, Under 20s the assistants Ben McHugh, Tua Tuapati, Josh Walker and Sam McLachlan have been preparing the team.
Pirates Old Boys’ talented young front rowers Jay Fisher, Shaun Kempton and Thomas Jennings have also been campaigning with the Highlanders Under 20s this year.
Woodlands will host the Eastern Northern Barbarians on Saturday. Woodlands coach Richard Jones will be hoping to get plenty out of loose forward Justin Shaw after he has finished his second year with the Highlanders under-20 campaign. Stags props Joe Walsh will be a loss for Woodlands after moving to the North Island.
The Eastern Northern Barbarians’ new coaches are AJ Aitken, Blake Korteweg and Woody Kirkwood.
Aitken is intent on fostering the relationship between the Barbarians and their catchment clubs in the Eastern and Northern sub-unions.
Blake has been playing and coaching with Pioneer in recent seasons while Kirkwood will be the lineout and ruck coach while he works to regain his fitness to take the field himself.
Stags squad members Jacob Coghlan and Angus Simmers are the on field leaders again.
Coghlan has been joined in the loose forwards by youngsters Zac Donovan and Benny Hill.
The Barbarians’ front row depth is led by Stags tight-head prop Morgan Mitchell.
Blues had their 150-year celebrations last season but the senior team struggled for success on the field.
Individual players from the club playing for the Highlanders are Hayden Michaels, Ethan de Groot, Michael Manson and former Blues club player Arese Poliko is with the Hurricanes.
The new coaching team consists of Ben Paulin, James Wilson and Mike Cunningham.
Hooker Jacob Payne was co-captain last year and has had a summer in Japan playing with the Verblitz club. Verblitz are likely to send a couple of their development players back to play in the Southland club competition again this year.
Blues are hosting Marist this Saturday.
Derek Manson is the Marist head coach again this year with support from Regan Wilson. Manager Jeremy Boyle knows the Marist club and premier grade like the back of his hand.
Division one and two games begin next week.
By John Langford
