Gibson, the Taieri club’s green keeper, has been selected in the middle of the triples for the six-team zone six event.
Gibson was a talented athlete in his youth and won the New Zealand junior pole vault title in 1975.
The other newcomer in the Dunedin team is Callum Horwell (Kaikorai) who is the lead in the fours team.
"This is the first time the event has been played in this format," Dunedin chairman of selectors Jim Scott said.
Teams from South Canterbury, North Otago, Dunedin, South Otago, Central Otago and Southland will play five games of singles, pairs, triples and fours.
It is modelled on the old zone six sevens that was used to find the centre that represented zone six in the national intercentre final. All centres in the country can now compete in the national final.
"It will give the selectors the chance to assess the player’s temperament before we select the team for the national finals of the intercentre sevens," Scott said.
Players not available for the event this weekend were Rod Fleming (Forbury Park), who is injured, and Andy McLean (North East Valley), who has been competing at the PBA pairs final in the United Kingdom.
Ten bowlers will be demonstrating their skills on the Central Otago greens. The team will be reduced to seven for the national finals.
World Bowls champion Mike Kernaghan is the Dunedin singles player and former internationals Shaun Scott and Terry Scott will skip the pairs and fours.
Pat Houlahan (Alexandra), who qualified for post-section play in the singles at the national championships at New Plymouth, will skip the Central Otago triples.
Sandy McNoe, who was in the winning team at the Festival Fours, will skip the South Otago triples.Craig McDonald (Awamoa), who won his 12th centre title in the pairs last weekend, will skip the North Otago pairs with John Smith as lead.
New Zealand junior representative Sheldon Bagrie-Howley (Gore) is the Southland singles player and the promising Keanu Derby will represent South Canterbury in the singles.
Newcomers in the Dunedin development team that is playing at Clyde are Adam McGregor and Karl Mason.
Otago
Zone 6 intercentre teams
Dunedin
Singles: Mike Kernaghan. Pairs: Shaun Scott (skip), Craig McCaw. Triples: Dave Archer (skip), Rob Gibson, Colin Wheeler. Fours: Terry Scott (skip), Pete Wilson, Geoff Purdon, Callum Horwell.
Central Otago
Singles: Howard O’Donnell. Pairs: Alistair Watson (skip) Conor Muir. Triples: Pat Houlahan (skip), Bob Sanders, Ewan Kirk. Fours: Trevor Drake (skip) Simon Nyhof, Ray Leeden, Richie Muir.
South Otago
Singles: Bob McAuley. Pairs: Brian Cowie (skip), Allan Philip. Triples: Sandy McNoe (skip), Graeme Hill, Bruce Campbell. Fours: Noddy Thomson (skip), John Bisset, Blair Thomson, Brian Dodd.
North Otago
Singles: David Smillie. Pairs: Craig McDonald (skip), John Smith. Triples: Peter Wylie (skip), Bill Kingan, Hugh Catto. Fours: Neville Ludemann (skip), Trevor Robertson, Bruce Kelly, Trevor Williams.
