Tim Colling believes people still care about Otago rugby.
And if he has his way, plenty of people will have plenty to be proud of and care about.
Colling is the new player development manager for the Otago union.
He is, in other words, the man who will be asked to help bring through the talent into an Otago team which has been producing mixed results in the past decade.
In the era of professional rugby, in which players are under more scrutiny than ever, Colling has a big job ahead of him.
And he knows that.
Colling effectively takes over from Ian Arthur, who was the Otago academy manager for more than 10 years.
Colling, though, is called the player development manager.
He said his role was somewhat wider than managing a straight academy, and he wanted to get away from a sole academy concept.
"The academy sounds a bit exclusive. It limits yourself to a certain group of players and it created that sort of feeling about being in or out," he said.
"I would rather be a bit more inclusive."
Colling (32) has set up a tiered programme to help bring players through, with the focus on local talent - players who have been brought up in the province and have known each other through the age groups.
That is not to say players are no longer coming south to combine rugby with further study.
"I think that is a myth. I've got a lot of good rugby CVs here from the traditional areas like Taranaki, Waikato, Auckland. Guys who want to come down here to play rugby and study.
"And the way rugby is going, with not as much emphasis on the brawn and more on the thinking type of player, then that is exactly the type of player that the university produces.
"Guys still want to come here first to study and then play a bit of rugby and see what might go from there. You look back at players like Taine Randell and Anton Oliver - they came to Dunedin for study first. Rugby came later."
Those from outside will get into the tiered programme but his top tier is made up of local players.
He has seven players lined up for that tier and though the group has not been completed, it will include the likes of South Otago High School pair Matt Faddes and Lee Allan, and Dunstan High School's Jayden Spence.
"Traditionally, for whatever reason, our teams haven't had a good representation of local guys.
"Our guys down here tend to develop a bit later. But the fact they are local guys means they will be a bit more patient. They'll be prepared to wait that bit longer.
"Plus, I know the local kids. I can see when they say they want to play for Otago they really mean it. You can see it in their eyes.
"It is harder with the guys who are not from here. I don't know them as well, so I can't judge them. Sometimes you can talk to guys who say they want to play for Otago but are just saying that. Guys can be great in certain environments but not in others, so we need to have a look at them first."
Colling said some age groups in Otago were very strong, while others were not as competitive, and that would be the time to bring in someone from outside the province.
But Colling felt the province did produce good players, citing Ben Smith as an example.
At the end of the three-year programme, players should be ready to play in the Super 14, but Colling said they developed at different stages.
"A guy may peak when he's 21 to 24 and then have a guy behind him who can replace him when he moves on."
Developing players is built on six pillars: physical development, nutrition, mental skills, life skills, technical and tactical rugby advancement.
Colling said these guidelines were laid down by the New Zealand Rugby Union for every academy across the country.
Colling has been around Otago rugby for almost all of his life.
His father, Don, played 80 games for Otago, while brother Michael also played for Otago.
Sister Belinda played netball for Otago and the Silver Ferns.
Brought up in Central Otago, Tim Colling was educated at Otago Boys High School in his final years.
He then played rugby for Kaikorai and had one game for Otago in 1998.
An inside back, he went to Japan for four seasons, playing for Japan Airlines.
After further travelling, he headed home to Central Otago, and has worked for the past three years as the country resource coach for the Otago union, coaching all levels from schoolboys to senior sides.
Colling is married to Genia, with children Liliya (3) and Oliver (20 months), and looks forward to his new job.
At a glance: Tim Colling
Age: 32.
Marital status: Married to Genia with children Liliya (3), Oliver (20 months).
Played for: Kaikorai, Wakatipu, Otago (one game), Japan Airlines.
Coaching: 2006-09 - Country resource coach for the Otago union; 2008-09 - Otago Country sevens coach.
