They are Melissa Fairbairn (Mataura), a halfback, and Kate Hitchen (Collegiate, Invercargill) a lock who can also play flanker.
It is the first time Southland players have been included in the Otago Spirit representative team. Permission was granted by the New Zealand Rugby Union because Southland teams play in the Otago women's competition.
Fairbairn, a pupil at St Peters College in Gore, is a feisty halfback in the mould of Justin Marshall and Jimmy Cowan.
"She is a good passer and has a lot of room to develop and could reach higher levels in the game," new coach Jonathan Homer told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"I coached her in the Southland secondary schools team three years ago."
Hitchen, a former New Zealand A representative, works on a dairy farm in Southland. She has just returned to New Zealand after living in Australia.
The other newcomers to the squad are Jess Tuhega (hooker, prop), Kylie Cathro (lock), Ngamamae Roberts (No 8), Sam Wong (halfback), Rachel Scott (flanker), Phillipa Love (prop), Leyhana van Vugt (flanker), Nathalia Darling (outside back), Courtney Sullivan ( prop) and Sheree Hume (first five-eighth).
Tuhega is the old hand that Homer wants to give stability to a team that contains a lot of younger players. She joins her sister Gemma in the team.
Van Vugt, a flanker in the mould of former All Black Daniel Braid, is a good link player and youngster Darling (16) is an outside back with flair.
Jamie Green played on the wing last season but Homer sees her as a centre.
"Jamie has explosive speed and a good eye for the gap," he said.
The key players in the Otago Spirit squad are Black Ferns Beth Mallard (hooker, prop) and Carla Hohepa (wing), and Kelly Brazier (first five-eighth) who on the verge of New Zealand selection.
"But these three players don't make the team," Homer said. "The other 12 players have to make space for them and I've drummed that message home."
Homer believes that Otago Spirit can make the semifinals.
"I don't focus on results," he said. "I'm performance driven and look at what the players need to be doing on the park."
He intends to work on improving the skills of the players and lift their performances to a higher standard.
"I want to build belief into the players by upskilling them," he said. "I want to build the complete player."
Homer has set high standards for the team and has demanded a high standard of fitness.
Rebecca Chittock, a regular in the squad over the last three years, will be added to the squad for the NPC only if she improves her level of fitness.
Otago Spirit has pre-season game against Canterbury at Timaru on August 8.
• The NPC programme is: August 22 v Wellington, Wellington; August 29 v Hawkes Bay, Napier; September 5, v Canterbury, University Oval; September 12 v Manawatu, Carisbrook; September 19, v Auckland, Auckland.
• Profile: New coach Jonathan Homer
- Age: 29
- Occupation: Teacher Southland Girls HS
- Education: Kings HS, University of Otago
- Coaching record: Southland Girls HS first fifteen (2005-06), Southland secondary schools, Lichfield club in England (top four 2007-08), West Midlands regional team (won English regional competition 2007-08).
- Playing record: Rugby, first five-eighth for Alhambra-Union and Star-Woodlands; cricket: Albion and Otago A.
• Otago Spirit squad
Jess Tuhega (Pirates), Beth Mallard (University), Gemma Tuhega (Pirates), Kylie Cathro (Pirates), Ngamamae Roberts (Alhambra-Union), Carla Hohepa (Alhambra-Union), Carrie Lobb (University), Chloe Trubshoe (University), Kate Hitchen (Collegiate), Sam Wong (Pirates), Rachel Scott (Alhambra-Union), Phillipa Love (Alhambra-Union), Victoria Nafatali (Pirates), Rachel Ovens (Pirates), Melissa Fairbairn (Mataura), Kelly Brazier (Alhambra-Union), Nicky Crawford (Alhambra-Union), Jamie Greene (Pirates), Sheree Hume (Pirates), Megan Kane (Alhambra-Union), Janna Vaughan (Alhambra-Union), Leyhana van Vugt (Pirates), Nathalia Darling (Kaikorai), Courtney Sullivan (Pirates), Larissa Muir (Pirates).
