Otago faces Auckland at Carisbrook tomorrow in its first day game of the season and Otago Rugby Football Union officials are hoping for a bumper crowd.
Next Saturday, Otago heads to Christchurch to play Canterbury in a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
They may be just two games in a season of at least 13 but they are being played out amidst a wider and important bigger picture.
Rugby's major domestic competition, the Air New Zealand Cup, is getting surgery, being chopped from 14 to 10 teams next season, and every union is under the microscope.
ORFU chief executive Richard Reid said there were never any guarantees and Otago needed to keep concentrating on all areas.
Reid said the competition had captured the imagination this year, especially in the provinces.
Although attendances at Carisbrook were above last year, crowds were still below other centres.
Reid felt people were still passionate about Otago, citing the Otago support at the unsuccessful shield challenge in Wellington in July, but that was not translating to more people going to Carisbrook.
"Clearly it is up to people to decide as to what is important to them but what I can tell all is that it is important to other supporters around the country," Reid said in a newsletter to the Otago rugby community this week.
"My fervent hope is that all people who are passionate about Otago will come to the games in this, the most important of seasons in recent times."
"Ask yourself: is it important to you? If the answer is yes; what can I do? My answer is simple, come to the games."
When asked how safe Otago was, Reid said he was confident enough and "we know what we have to do and I expect us to do it".
