Situations vacant: one or two new props are needed by the Taieri Rugby Football Club, as it returns to Dunedin premier rugby this year.
Taieri gained promotion to premier rugby when it beat University B 42-17 in the promotion-relegation game last winter.
Coach John Kelly told the Otago Daily Times yesterday that the club has a competitive team in all positions but needed two more props to bring the front row up to strength.
"By the end of this week we will have three premier props," Kelly said.
"But we would like to get two more players to cover us for the season."
In a pre-season game against Zingari Richmond last weekend, Taieri had to play "golden oldies" scrums.
The Metropolitan Committee rules state that teams must have a reserve prop in their ranks before all Dunedin club games.
"We are the new kids on the block and haven't got a network to get players into the club like older and more established city clubs," Kelly said.
Taieri voluntarily withdrew from premier ranks in 2001 because it did not have enough players of premier quality.
It has spent the last eight years building up its strength.
The Taieri club was established in 1883 and celebrated its 125th anniversary last winter. It has won the Dunedin premier banner only once, when it was shared with University A in 1955.
The Taieri club headquarters at Peter Johnstone Park is just 14 minutes from the centre of town and the club provides transport for training and games.
"We have a positive environment and will be looking after our players," Kelly said.
"We intend to feed the players with a dinner after Thursday training each week."
Meanwhile, the University club says it will field a team in the premier 2 competition and is aiming to win promotion back to the premier grade. The side would be known as University B.
University B had been relegated last year, after not winning a game.
University club chairman Kelvin Fisher said the club intended to field a premier 1 side, a premier 2 side, two colts sides and a women's side, the same number of teams as last year.
Fisher said the club has had to change its thinking and the A and B side would work together.
The club wanted to have two premier 1 club sides, with the B side back into the top grade.
The senior sides travelled to Lincoln University last weekend, and both had won their games, which were part of a trial for the New Zealand Universities side to travel to Asia next month.
