Steve Hepburn

The Otago Rugby Football Union has come up with a scheme aimed at raising $500,000 for amateur rugby.

Highlanders may have been up 19-5 at half-time but they did not make enough of the opportunities they created in the first 40 minutes, assistant coach Peter Russell says.

The Pirates club has been fined $250 but will not lose any points after fielding two ineligible players in the premier competition.

As the top two sides in the Super 14 clash in Hamilton tonight, rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at the match-ups and if anyone can be the star of the show.

With their play-off hopes done and dusted, and midway through a tough end-of-season tour, the Highlanders have one thing to play for tomorrow morning - pride.

With dropped ball on average once every two minutes, this match will not find its way to rugby heaven.

The Highlanders will have to do without nippy midfield back Daniel Bowden against the Lions this Saturday, after he was suspended for one game yesterday.

As Richie McCaw goes down with another head injury, the question is raised again of who will wear the All Black No 7 jersey should the unthinkable happen. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at who might step into that rather big hole if McCaw is unavailable.

New Taieri premier coach Andrew Hunter says he has big expectations for his side, and wants to move on from the sacking of previous coach John Kelly.

Helen Scott admits she is not the biggest rugby fan.

The new Highlanders First XV competition will give schoolboy rugby a shot in the arm and expose players to a higher standard of rugby, organisers believe.

Two defaults in the competition involving Dunedin premier two sides and North Otago senior sides does not mean the competition is struggling, those overseeing it say.

Margaret Foster sure knows the way around an airport these days. Reporter Steve Hepburn catches up with the Steel assistant coach, who insists she is slowing down.

Dunedin got its turn to say "Well done" to world champion cyclist Alison Shanks yesterday.

Those play-off hopes just disappeared into a dark night.

A looming deadline for a decision on the future of Super rugby could help the New Zealand Rugby Union to resolve issues with disaffected provincial unions, NZRU chief executive Steve Tew believes.

Highlanders coach Glenn Moore said the laws intended to clean up the breakdown have, if anything, made it more confusing.