Bob Howitt names a team of the season from the Central Otago premier club rugby competition. 15. Nick Egerton (Arrowtown). Captain and standout player in a team that endured a frustrating season, missing the playoffs after being docked points. 14. Nico Bowering (Upper Clutha). Impactful player used at both fullback and on the wing. Scored his share of tries. 13. Rube Peina (Wakatipu). Toss-up once again between him and Tyler Ford as No 13. While Peina’s team reached the final, Ford’s won only three games. Peina represents class. 12. Hayden Todd (Cromwell). Such a class act it’s hard to know why he retired after 2024. Major contributor to Cromwell’s dramatic resurgence and helped Central retain the Topp Cup. 11. Jack East (Upper Clutha). Has dazzling speed and scored 10 tries. Featured in Central’s Topp Cup win. 10. Brayden Laing (Cromwell). Exciting newcomer who played a major hand in Cromwell’s immense revival. Deceptively quick and the competition’s top scorer with 128 points. 9. Joshua Cook (Upper Clutha). Classy distributor at halfback who scored 10 tries. Deservedly won selection for the Topp Cup team. 8. Jake Burtenshaw (Upper Clutha). The brand of No 8 every coach wants — always in the appropriate spot and a sure tackler. 7. Anton Huisman (Wakatipu). Gifted flanker who made a huge impact in both the semifinal and final. 6. Lachie Garrick (Upper Clutha). Makes the art of winning lineouts seem ridiculously easy. Co-captain who contributed to Central’s Topp Cup triumph. 5. Stefan Blakeborough (Cromwell). Contributed massively to Cromwell’s remarkable resurgence in 2026. A tragedy that a serious injury cut him out of the semifinals. 4. Andrew Horne (Upper Clutha). The brand of lock every coach prays for — gifted lineout jumper who uses his pace and strength to awesome effect throughout the game. 3. Mike Phillip (Matakanui Combined). Thanks to Phillip and a couple of his upfront mates, Matakanui were respected at scrum time although they did not win a game in 2026. 2. Brad Allan (Alexandra). His reliable displays in a team that won just three matches in 2026 won him selection for the Topp Cup clash. 1. Alex Chubb (Cromwell): A key component in the Cromwell team that metamorphosed from forgettable in 2025 to a powerhouse this year. Reserves: Tyler Ford (Alexandra), Max Brown (Arrowtown), Oliver Stirling (Upper Clutha), Ryan O’Neill (Alexandra), Reon Buchanan (Cromwell), Samuel Jopp (Maniototo), William Holdom (Alexandra), Elliot Miller (Matakanui Combined).
