The team was one of the early casualties of the Otago Rugby Football Union's financial woes and was sidelined by the union.
The decision angered past members of the team and former Black Fern Margaret McKenzie launched a fund raising drive to get the team into this year's championship.
She was backed by All Black Adam Thomson and $20,000 was raised for the women's team.
The decision by the ORFU reached the ears of three former team members who were playing their rugby in Canada and Kelly Brazier, Kat Wilton and Claire Richardson decided to return to their old province.
The players wanted to justify the faith supporters had put in them and prove that they deserved to be in the national championship.
They did it last week with a flawless performance that set a new benchmark when Hawkes Bay was demolished 85-5 at the North Ground.
A strong management team of coaches Marty Gray and Nic Turner and manager Toni Pelasio was appointed.
"There is a good culture in the team," Gray said yesterday. "We spent a lot of time developing it.
"We wanted to create a positive environment after all the things that had happened to the team.
"From a coaching point of view, we wanted to put a few things in place and create a positive environment for the team to work out of."
Gray, an experienced premier coach with the Alhambra-Union club, set a high standard and the team has responded.
"The players themselves wanted to prove a point," Gray said. "The injection of some very good players coupled with some great local talent has helped."
The Black Ferns sparkedthe team into action against Hawkes Bay and Kelly Brazier made a strong statement when she scored a New Zealand provincial record of 45 points.
"There is a lot of mongrel in the team. They want to win, they have a passion to win and have a desire to win and are working really hard," Gray said.
"There is a strong work ethic in the team and a nice culture that is a pleasure to coach.
"It was the combined effect of everything that has added to the success of the team."
Otago Spirit plays Manawatu in a national championship match at the North Ground at 11.30am tomorrow.
