The Otago Spirit have named a strong squad as they look to back up their heroics in 2026.

Matt Direen returns for his second season at the helm — having previously been an assistant coach — after leading the Spirit through an unbeaten 2025 to win the Farah Palmer Cup Championship after a cracking final against Northland at Tahuna Park.

The Spirit will again play in the Championship after they were cruelly denied promotion due to a New Zealand Rugby revamp of the competition.

They will need to win the Championship again this season if they want to be elevated to the top tier Premiership.

Several key cogs are returning including stalwart forwards Greer Muir and Tegan Willocks (nee Hollows) — who had strong Super Rugby Aupiki seasons for the Hurricanes Poua — hard-working Leila Hill and Ella Gomez, and blockbusting ball carrier Sarah Jones, who has also been named in the Black Ferns XV.

Veteran back Sheree Hume is back alongside Georgia Cormick, Charlotte Va’afusuaga, Naomi Sopoaga and Madison Flutey, who spent a season with the Exeter Chiefs, and Chiefs Manawa after the Spirit season last year.

Halfback Maia Joseph has also been named, but will be unavailable due to Black Ferns commitments.

The Spirit have lost bookend Isla Pringle, who retired from representative rugby at the end of last year, and nuggety halfback Abigail Paton, who is expected to be named for the United States tests later this year.

The Spirit play a preseason game against Canterbury in Timaru this weekend, before getting their FPC season under way against Wellington at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 29.

Otago Spirit

The squad

Forwards: Taylor Anderson*, Eilis Doyle, Sarah Jones, Ella Gomez, Leila Hill, Kayley Johnson, Tegan Willocks, Greer Muir, Rawinia Ngamoki-Moana, Rebekah Wairau, Honour Birks*, Lucy Cahill, Emily Dale*, Olivia Gill*, Shakirah Stephen

Backs: Pip Eason, Zaria Murray, Charli Sinclair*, Charlotte Va'afusuaga, Sasha Scott, Oceana Campbell, Te Atawhai Campbell, Georgia Cormick, Sheree Hume, Hannah Norris, Naomi Sopoaga, Madison Flutey, Maia Joseph.

*Denotes debut season

— Allied Media