Clubs have given the thumbs-up to the decision to make Otago representative players available for all club rugby this winter.
Details of the competition were released by the Otago Rugby Football Union Rugby Operations Co-ordinator Richard Perkins yesterday,The competition starts at Easter and the final will be held at Carisbrook on Saturday, July 17.
There will be no midweek games.
The big difference from last year is the dumping of the quarterfinals.
The top four teams will play semifinals on July 10 and the final will be held the following week.
"The competition format has been built around the clubs' desire to have Otago representative players playing for their clubs, especially in the semifinals and final," Perkins told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"That is why we have dropped the top-six team play-offs and gone straight to the semifinals."
The competition format is designed to fit in with the Air New Zealand Cup, which begins on the last weekend in July.
Retaining the six team play-off format would have meant playing one midweek game or starting the competition in March.
"If we had started in March it would have clashed with summer sports," Perkins said.
"It would have put too much of a burden on the club volunteers."
The three-pronged competition format remains.
The five-round Speight's Cup runs from Easter to May 1 and is followed by the round-robin Gallaway Trophy from May 8 to July 3.
The semifinals will be held on July 10 and the championship final on July 17 at Carisbrook,The Metropolitan Match Committee has given clubs the option of scheduling their games anytime during Easter, providing both teams in a match agree.
New Otago coach Phil Mooney is keen to have representative players involved in club rugby.
He intends to have two warm-up games for the Otago team and both will be held midweek.
The first will be held on the week of the club final and the other after the club season has finished.
"The club season finishes a week earlier this year and this will enable squad members to play in the club semifinals and finals," Mooney said.
"No player from teams in the club final will play in the first warm-up game."
The new format has pleased University A coach John Leslie, who has lost his representative players for the semifinals and finals in the past two years.
"I was getting a bit disillusioned the way it has been over the last two years," Leslie said.
"I'm happy with the decision.
"It will be positive for rugby in the province.
"It will make club rugby and Otago rugby stronger because players will have to prove themselves at club level to get selected for the representative team."
Veteran Harbour coach Jack Medder said it "has brought a sense of realism back into the competition".
"Having the club players available will make for a more meaningful club final."
Medder is also pleased about the top four concept for the semifinals.
"The top six concept was a bit messy," he said.
"The top four teams after the round-robin competition deserve a crack at the final."
Ross O'Connell, captain of the champion Dunedin club, said he was happy with the new structure for club rugby.
Dunedin club rugby
Duration: Easter to July 17.
Semifinal July 10, Final July 17.
Representative players available.
Format: Speight's Cup, Easter to May 1 (5 games); Gallaway Trophy, May 8 to July 3 (11 games); Semifinal July 10, Final July 17.
