Strong interest in the seven-week rugby league season that starts today has resulted in a "meaningful" competition for the code in Dunedin, for the first time since 2007.
New Zealand Rugby League southern zone general manager Steve Martin said yesterday administrators had been encouraged by the number of players who had signed up to play.
Seven teams have entered the competition, with three games kicking off at 2pm at Bishopscourt.
Martin said he hoped the "novelty factor" of the sport's return might bring spectators to the games.
Four rugby clubs - Kaikorai, Harbour, Pirates and Zingari-Richmond - have entered teams, with Pirates entering two, alongside more traditional league teams University and the South Pacific Raiders.
The competition marks a comeback for the code in Otago, after it fell dormant in the province for the past two seasons.
Martin said the idea for this season was to get league back on the sporting map in Dunedin.
He hoped that would spark interest in other clubs that had become defunct, and they would be able to start organising for next year.
That may take the form of a season like this year, following the rugby competition, or a full season, but those decisions would be made after the end of the competition.
