Steve Hepburn

Nine-plus months into the rugby season and Adam Thomson is showing no sign of slowing down; in fact, he is doing extra training sessions to keep his fitness up.

All Black loose forward Adam Thomson has been welcomed back into the Otago side and will pack down at No 8 against Taranaki in New Plymouth tomorrow night.

Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan is believed to have pledged his loyalty to the southern franchise for another season, though there is no guarantee his team mate Jamie Mackintosh will do the same.

Carisbrook will host a test match against Wales next year and organisers are already planning for a sell-out.

Just what was needed. Otago bounced back from the disappointment of last weekend's loss to beat Bay of Plenty in an Air NZ Cup match at Carisbrook on Saturday night and restore some much-needed pride in the blue and gold jersey.

Cut out the silly little errors, and it will come. In a performance much better than last week, but unfortunately for Otago fans just not quite good enough, Otago slipped to a 35-20 loss to Waikato at Carisbrook on Saturday afternoon.

The season may be going into its 10th month, but Otago centre Brett Mather is making up for lost time.

The Air New Zealand Cup is nearing the play-offs but may also be heading for the courts. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the planned cull of four teams from the competition and discovers the national union is not winning a popularity contest.

For a guy who was not wanted in the south, Callum Bruce has coped pretty well with rejection.

Three Otago players are in line to play on one of the hallowed turfs of world rugby next month.

Otago rugby stalwart Dave Latta admits he is "pretty keen" to coach Otago next season, but wants to wait and see what the structure of the new competition is.

Hamish Burrow has not let a burglary and logging thousands of kilometres in travel get in the way of winning a place in a New Zealand BMX team.

New Highlanders board member Mike Eagle says he is not a white knight appointed to save the franchise but believes it is imperative Super rugby is alive and performing in the south of the South Island.

Otago coach Steve Martin says any decision he makes on his future will be made at the end of season, and he was focusing on the final three games of the 2009 campaign.

Otago is out of the running to make the play-offs in the Air New Zealand Cup but still has plenty to play for in the final three games of the season, says Otago assistant coach Bruce Carvell.