Squad members of the Otago gymnastics team assembled at the Caledonian Gymnasium on Saturday in preparation for a busy few weeks.
Promising young players will descend on Dunedin for the rest of the week with the carrot of playing under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium dangling in front of them.
The Otago Country Rugby Board has condemned the events around a junior game in Central Otago in August.
Sporting scholarships are on the increase in schools in the South but are nowhere near the levels seen at North Island schools which are constantly pushing boundaries.
Dunedin sports administrator Raylene Bates will not be penalised for the error which led to the names of athletes being left off the starting list at the London Olympics, with part of the blame laid at the process.
The Otago Spirit side finally gets a game on its home track and wants to return to winning ways.
Otago is bucking the trend with players and officials enjoying the ITM Cup, saying it is intense and crowds have been pleasing.
Sam Anderson-Heather is making up for lost time. He has just played three games in 10 days.
As sport, and rugby in particular, becomes more professional, a new vernacular has emerged. Delist came to the fore earlier this week. Sports reporters Steve Hepburn and Adrian Seconi look at some words which have crept into the sporting language.
Argentina is a very different place than when the All Blacks first toured there in 1976. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn catches up with former Otago No 8 Mervyn Jaffray who toured the country 36 years ago.
Robert Willocks is about to get a new piece of furniture.
Six weeks ago, Tasman came to Dunedin and handed out a lesson to Otago.
Starting like a slow ox, Otago came home like a rampaging bull to defeat Tasman 39-13 at Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday.
Otago's return to grass roots will continue this weekend when the side hits the school hostels in a mini North Island tour.
Adam Morrison did not have a long time to think about making his first-class debut at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday.
There has been plenty of talk about the difficulties of goalkicking at Forsyth Barr Stadium. But surely it should be easy. There is no wind and no rain, after all. Still, the excuses keep coming though. Wrong ball, too much hot air, not enough practice. Sports reporter Steve Hepburn looks at that excuse and other dodgy explanations which have occurred in the sporting world.
There may be plenty of critics of the ITM Cup - too many games, too few spectators, poor defence, but what the heck - it is damn entertaining.
Sport and Sanyo brought them together.
Dunedin is shaping up as the place to be for sporting fans in the final weekend in February.
The Highlanders have avoided the Stormers and the Waratahs in the Super 15 next year and believe they have received a better draw than this past season.
