Steve Hepburn

Canterbury took the honours but Otago was far from disgraced at the North Ground on Saturday.

Anna Richards has won three World Cups, played for the national team for more than 15 years, and won endless national championships with Auckland.

Otago rugby tomorrow starts a hugely important seven days which could define where the union is heading.

All Black fullback Mils Muliaina says the All Blacks still have plenty to play for in the next couple of tests and the side has yet to hit its straps.

Debbie Hill - captain of the New Zealand volleyball team, the Scorpions club volleyball team and now co-captain of the Otago netball team. The other half? Alando Soakai - captain of the Otago rugby team.

Daniel Bowden says he expects to cop a mouthful and maybe a sprig mark or two when he faces Otago at Carisbrook this Sunday.

Otago and Highlanders winger Lucky Mulipola has been loaned to Tasman for the rest of the season, and his days in the blue and gold jersey appear over.

Otago forwards Adam Thomson and Tom Donnelly have been brought into an All Black training camp in Christchurch today.

Former All Black prop Kees Meeuws will stay in the Otago scrum on a "week by week" basis, though there are concerns over the availability of loosehead prop Ben Nolan.

North Otago captain Joe Mamea is in negotiations to sign with a Spanish club and has probably played his last game for the province.

Otago coach Steve Martin says it would be foolish of him to think no-one in his side will be thinking of the Ranfurly Shield this week, as Otago eyes a second crack at rugby's most prized domestic trophy.

The Otago Spirit welcomes back winger Carla Hohepa and halfback Zoey Berry for its match with Hawkes Bay in Napier today.

North Otago will field a new-look midfield in its season-opening match with South Canterbury in Oamaru this afternoon.

Rugby is the national game and nowhere is there a better example of that than the Heartland Championship.

Karne Hesketh admits he still has work to do on his defence, but there can be no complaints about his attacking game.

Cost is the factor behind the decision to stop having third match officials for Air New Zealand Cup games and also not to have the large video screen operating for all games at Carisbrook.

In many eyes he should have worn the blue and gold, but Matt Clutterbuck will be proudly wearing Cambridge blue when he takes on Otago in Whangarei on Friday night.

The Scorpions women's volleyball team will go from all but empty gymnasiums into a packed cauldron.