Steve Hepburn

Former New Zealand Open winner Greg Turner is eyeing up the Japanese threat at this week's New Zealand Open.

The most recent New Zealand winner of the New Zealand Open will not be in Queenstown this weekend.

The glory of last year's Highlanders season gets a good airing in the latest New Zealand Rugby Almanack.

Fresh off their first win of the season, the Highlanders will face a confident Lions side this week, and the home side knows it is going to be more of the same.

Ronel Cook spends her day surrounded by water.

After 22 years in the middle, Roger Hill is hanging up the whistle.

It is a bit early to describe these teams as entering must-win territory.

They have given plenty of pleasure to many.

Matt Faddes has been asked to fill the shoes of Waisake Naholo for the Highlanders in the side's match against the Hurricanes on Saturday night.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has named an unchanged starting side to play the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday in an early season replay of last year's Super Rugby final.

The Highlanders should have plenty of backing for match game against the Hurricanes at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd does not intend even mentioning a certain match involving his side and the Highlanders played in Wellington last July.

The opening weekend of Super rugby told us a lot of what we already know - the New Zealand teams are going to bash each other silly, the Brumbies and Waratahs are going to head the Australian challenge, and the sides from South Africa are not much chop.

You could call it the last chance saloon.

Highlanders No8 Liam Squire is back training with the side this week but there remains doubt about reserve halfback Fumiaki Tanaka.

As debuts go, it couldn't have gone any better.

Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith says the players are looking to each other to try to back up from their Super rugby title of last year.