Injuries have forced Otago Spirit coach Duncan McEwan to name a 28-strong squad for the forthcoming women's NPC.
The first-year coach had originally planned to name 26 players, but uncertainty around flanker Georgia Mason's knee and lock Syreeta Norris' shoulder injuries meant he named a slightly larger group.
Mason suffered a grade two MCL tear in the club final earlier in the month, and was originally expected to miss from four to six weeks.
However, she will undergo an MRI scan this week and could miss the entire season if there is cartilage damage.
That would be a big blow to the Spirit as the energetic Mason is the chief fetcher in the team.
Norris had an X-ray on her ACL injury after the club final, which showed it was not fractured, but McEwan is still awaiting a report from her physiotherapist to determine how serious the strain is.
The squad contains eight new caps in forwards Eilis Doyle, Tegan Hollows, Marilie Mostert, Kate Smith, Mary Jane Kivalu, and backs Georgina McCullough, Hollie Fraser and Rian Sanerive.
While the Spirit has lost Black Ferns pivot Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali to Counties Manukau, punishing midfielder Greer Muir is back, as is fellow midfielder Kilisitina Moata'ane, veteran fullback Sheree Hume and halfback Deirdre Roberts.
In the forwards, captain Angie Sisifa will lead from the front.
The departures of prop Phillipa Love and hooker Lucy Emery leave a void in the front row, but Pirates prop Gemma Tuhega is still around.
Lock Epe Elisara and inside back Megan Manson are also back for another crack.
McEwan finalised the squad after a 22-10 loss to Canterbury in its one and only pre-season match in Pleasant Point at the weekend.
He said there were ''very positive'' signs from the game, but conceded there was work to be done before the first regular-season game this weekend.
''Of course it wasn't perfect, it was far from it,'' he said.
''There's a lot of stuff we have to work on. But I think they showed a lot of commitment against a team that put a lot of points on them last year.
''I think the girls took a bit out of it. And they're all quietly confident that we have got a group that's strong across the park. We've got a game vision in the way that we want to play the game that suits them.''
The Spirit, which is still looking for sponsors, kicks off the new season against Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday.
Otago Spirit
The squad
Otago Spirit: Angie Sisifa (captain), Michaela Baker, Nicola Crawford, Eilis Doyle, Epe Elisara, Madelaine Finch, Hollie Fraser, Julia Gorinski, Tegan Hollows, Sheree Hume, Mary Jane Kivalu, Megan Manson, Georgia Mason, Georgina McCullough, Kilisitina Moata'ane, Marilie Mostert, Greer Muir, Larissa Muir, Syreeta Norris, Deirdre Roberts, Emily Rogers, Rian Sanerive, Kate Smith, Gemma Tuhega, Olivia Waldron, Zoe Whatarau, Kelly Whitten, Sammy Wong.
