The strong Christchurch team of Tina Target, Chris Taylor and Karen Steven is favoured to win the New Zealand women's triples in Dunedin at the weekend.
Target and Taylor were in the New Zealand team that beat Australia in the transtasman test in Melbourne in May.
This New Zealand championship was scheduled for Christchurch but the earthquake forced the change.
"It is the first ever national petanque tournament to be held in Dunedin so we are keen to show the national body what we can do," Caversham Petanque Club secretary Stefany Frost said.
"It is a positive move by Petanque New Zealand to recognise the growing support for the sport in our area."
The event will begin at the Caversham Petanque Club tomorrow, with final on Sunday afternoon.
The Christchurch team won the plate event at the South Island championships in Timaru last weekend.
The Caversham club team of Nadine Simpson, Aileen Simpson and Bev Kendall will put in a strong challenge. They won the South Island women's triples title.
Other strong competition will come from Margaret Maher, Margaret Penny and Ann Shields (Auckland) and the composite team of Diane Findlay (Christchurch), Anne Sinclair (Caversham) and Marilyn Bunce (Alexandra), all current or former New Zealand representatives.
They finished third equal at the South Island championships.