University B intends to play Zingari-Richmond in the promotion-relegation game next weekend if it wins the Dunedin premier two final against Southern at Tahuna Park today.
The Otago University club committee decided this week to put in a challenge if it wins the game.
"We have been forced into making the challenge because of the pending Otago Rugby Football Union's amateur review," chairman Kelvin Fisher said yesterday.
"The review process is forcing us to challenge for promotion this year to maintain our right to have two premier teams. The amateur review wants to take that right away."
The club has a lifeline, as the Otago Rugby Football Union ruled in 2001 that University was the only club permitted to have two teams in premier rugby.
If passed at the annual meeting, the ORFU amateur rugby review will allow only one premier team from each club.
It would mean that West Taieri, Brighton and Eastern could challenge for promotion if they won premier two, but not University B.
The University club wants to test its B team against the bottom team in premier ranks.
"The feeling in the club is that we don't want the players left wondering if they are good enough to play premier rugby," Fisher said.
"If we beat Zingari, the players would know they are good enough to play premier rugby."
But first it has to get past a Southern side which will be keen to make up for a disappointing performance by its premier one side this year.
Both teams have a sprinkling of premier one players, who should have a big impact on the game today.
Under Dunedin Metropolitan rules, a player who appears on the team sheet in premier rugby for seven games needs a dispensation to play for a lower team.
Four players in the University team today - Sam McLernon (halfback), Peter Butterworth (openside flanker), Nick Grant (lock) and Sam Crisp (prop) - received this dispensation after playing for University A.
The other key players for University B today are fullback Ben Hones and flanker and captain Dale Jarden.
Included in the Southern team are four players - Harry Uffindell (wing), Laurie McCowan (centre), Ben Main (first five-eighth) and Ollie Spence (flanker) - who played premier rugby this year.
THE TEAMS
- Tahuna Park, 2.45pm today
• University B: Ben Hones, Paddy Ryan, Connor Talimanu, Will Little, Sam Whitehead, Sean Martin, Sam McLernon, Aaron Scott, Peter Butterworth, Dale Jarden (captain), Will Eder, Nick Grant, Adam Dwyer, Keisha Ogura, Sam Crisp.
Reserves: Marcus Hand, Isreili Guise, Matt Abbot, Luke Balvert, Tom English, Nick Carter, Duncan McFarlane.
Coach: Murray Pridham.
• Southern: Mark Sherlock, Harry Uffindell, Laurie McCowan, Dion Lobb, Kevin Marfell, Ben Main, Simon Wallace, Nick Coogan, Michael Pridham, Ollie Spence, Jamie Jensen (captain), Ed Wiley, Hayden Lawless, Dan Sinnamon, Michael Mata'afa.
Reserves: Scott Haines, Eddie Sefu, Tamasi Tui, Garry Vakauta, Tom Gillett, Karl Hart, Laponai Hakavalu or Paul Kibblewhite.
Coach: Jimmy Sinclair.
