Alhambra-Union is trying to build a dynasty, Taieri is back, University B is gone and there is an unusually high number of transfers to digest. Rugby writers Steve Hepburn and Alistair McMurran preview the Dunedin premier club season.
Taieri will be boosted by rugby league convert Ryan Shortland when it returns to Dunedin premier rugby today after spending the past eight years in the rugby wilderness.
Taieri was forced to withdraw from premier rugby in 2001 because it did not have enough players of premier class. The long and difficult slog to get back to premier ranks ended last August when it beat University B 42-17 in the promotion-relegation game.
Shortland, a midfield back, has been recruited from the New Zealand Warriors and is expected to add flair to the Taieri backline.
Taieri has recruited well with midfield back Ryan Hammer returning to his family club from Southern and lock Callum Bissett and prop Matt Kiore strengthening the pack.
The return of Taieri is special to club stalwart Eric Vaafusuaga, who has played 193 premier games for the club. He will captain the team from No 8.
Vaafusuaga (38) also played 48 premier games for Green Island between 2001 and 2003 and will join Billy Laing (Dunedin) with a record 242 Dunedin premier games today.
The return of Taieri to premier ranks had "created a lot of interest for the Mosgiel community," club president Owen Clarke said.
"They are talking a lot about rugby in our community and a lot of people are showing an interest to come and see them play.
"It has given all the players a lift. There has been a lot of hard work by players, administrators and coaches to get us back."
Defending champion Alhambra-Union has lost three key players but still looks a formidable combination that will be capable of reaching the final again.
Fullback Casey Stone has gone to Manawatu, halfback Doug Stewart to Australia and lock Fili Koloamatangi to Christchurch.
A weakness of Alhambra-Union over recent years has been its lack of a reliable goal-kicker. The recruitment of Peter Breen from Zingari-Richmond may have solved that problem. He scored 122 points for the Colours last season.
Inspirational captain Matt Clutterbuck, the Dunedin club player of the year for the past two season, is the Alhambra-Union captain again.
Dunedin, the runner-up last year, has lost five of its stalwarts with the departure of Bronson Ross, John Fahey, Richard Naylor, Sam Scown and Fraser Hunter.
Dunedin has recruited midfield back Nigel Graham from England and fullback Louis Tili from the Otago Boys First XV and has also promoted eight players from the Dunedin Colts.
A key player in the pack is No 8 and captain Scott McKee, while midfield back Michael Walding will be a key player in the backline.
Brent Lucas, who played premier rugby for Kaikorai as a loose forward for three years in the 1990s, is the new Kaikorai coach. He has coached the Kaikorai Colts team to a championship banner.
It will be difficult for Kaikorai to finish in the top six because it has lost 17 experienced players from last year's squad.
Newcomers include loose forward Sam Holdaway (Otago Boys) and backs Guy Ferguson (Wellington) and Guy Lemon (Christchurch).
Key players are captain Adam Hill and line-out specialist Seko Qaraniqio in the forwards and midfield specialists Mark McGregor and Matt Direen in the backs.
Southern, the champion in 2007, has lost three key players with locks Dane Grey (England) and Luke Eketone (Auckland) and winger Greg Zampach (Zingari-Richmond) leaving.
Six members of the championship-winning Southern Colts team have been promoted and other gains are halfback Joe Burford (England) and loose forward Simon Knight (Toko). Knight is the son of lock Richard Knight, who played a record 170 games for Otago from 1981 to 1992.
Veteran coach Jack Medder has returned to the head coach role for Harbour and last coached the Harbour premier team in 1993.
Harbour has lost fullback Glen Horton to Southland and lock Mal Aitken to Perth. Key gains are first five-eighth Dan Snee from University A and lock Gareth McComb from Ireland.
University A has most of its side intact from last year, but will again face major disruption when its Otago representatives become unavailable at the end of the season.
Coach John Leslie is in his second year with the side and has been joined by experienced forwards coach Shayne Flanagan, while Matt Carrington will look after the back three and kicking.
The side has gained big lock Alby Herron from Kaikorai while the front row of Jeremy Aldworth, Simon Forrest and captain Sam Hibbard should dominate.
In the backs, Dan Snee has left for Harbour and Randell Kamea has gone to Alhambra-Union, but the likes of David Thompson and Ben Hones should give the students plenty of pace out wide.
Pirates has a new coach in Roy Hawker, who has been coaching club rugby in Australia.
Hawker, who played 10 games for Otago from 1997 to 2001 as a midfield back and played senior rugby for Pirates as well as other clubs, coached the Norths senior side in Sydney and then the Breakers club side on the Gold Coast.
He will be assisted by his father, Russell. No captain has been named, but Hawker said with the side having many players who have played more than 100 club games, experience and leadership should not be a problem.
Experienced coach Colin Tuaine has taken on the mantle of coaching Green Island. Tuaine had ties with the Harbour club, but said he was approached by Green Island and wanted to help the club in its 125th year.
The side should have a competitive forward pack with Andre Clarke joining from Southern and Alan Hill moving from Harbour. Brent Short is back playing after starting off as coach last year while his older brother Jason returns for another year.
John Keenan is back at his second year with Zingari-Richmond and wants the side to get in the top six. Keenan said the club had not made the top six since 2004 - and that was too long.
Key flanker Ryan Newman is back after a broken ankle, while lock Matt Larson is playing overseas and will not be back until mid-May. Prop James Cooper is developing nicely and captain Mason Pomare will be looking to improve his game.
Outside back Armyn Sanders, who has played for Waikato, has joined the club, along with Dunedin centre Scott Milne. Experienced winger Greg Zampach returns to the club after a stint with Southern, but first five-eighth and goalkicker Peter Breen has moved to Alhambra-Union.
