Otago Boxing president Colin Falloon said the team was feeling confident. The younger boxers had trouble finding suitable local opponents, so had been fighting some heavier and sometimes more experienced boxers, he said.
Jamie Dick (17) will be fighting in the youth welterweight division and Sam Beck (16) will fight in the junior welterweight.
Martin Mech (32), twice runner-up in the Czech Republic national amateur championships, will be fighting in the welterweight division.
Mech said he was ready for the competition.
"I'm happy for the opportunity to be boxing for Otago," he said.
In April, Mech fought New Zealand No 1 welterweight Bowyn Morgan, but was defeated 12-8.
"I have been fighting bigger boxers in training," he said.
"They have a longer reach and they move faster."
Falloon said the number of women entering the national competition had doubled.
"They're just as competitive as the men."
Cherine Henry (32), the current South Island Golden Gloves female featherweight champion, will be fighting in the female bantamweight division.
Henry claimed the South Island title after toppling Canterbury's Tasha Brown in May.
The fifth member of the team, Bridget Morton (23), will fight in the flyweight division.
The North Island teams will provide some tough competition, but the South Island still had some solid contenders, Falloon said.
"[The] South Island's pretty strong."
The competition is on October 26-29.
• By Andrew MacKay.
