Meet two new contributing writers to the Otago Daily Times sports department.
The first is a familiar face: Farah Palmer.
Dr Palmer is a former New Zealand and Otago women's rugby captain who, starting on January 15, will write a weekly column for the newspaper.
She is in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a four-month sabbatical from her role as director of Te Au Rangahau (Maori Business Research Centre) at Massey University.
Dr Palmer (36) was raised in Piopio, in the King Country, and is of Tainui descent.
She completed a bachelor of physical education (1994) and a PhD in sociology of sport (2000) at the University of Otago.
She started playing rugby in Dunedin in 1992 and made the Black Ferns for the first time in 1995.
She was named captain two years later and led New Zealand to World Cup victories in 1998, 2002 and 2006, playing 35 tests in all.
In 1998, she was named New Zealand Maori sportsperson of the year, and in 2005 she was named the International Rugby Board women's personality of the year.
Dr Palmer was a member of the Taskforce on New Zealand Sport, which played a significant role in the formation of Sparc in 2000, and is a member of the New Zealand Sports Disputes Tribunal.
She was a member of the IRB women's advisory committee in 2004-05, and her passion for Maori research and development is reflected in her membership of Nga Pae o te Maramatanga (Centre of Research Excellence - Maori) and Te Mata o te Tau (Academy of Maori Research and Scholarship).
Our other addition is Rhys Chamberlain, who starts this month as our Central Otago sports correspondent, following in the footsteps of Brent Edwards and the late John Fitzharris.
Chamberlain (27), who is married and lives in Cromwell, is a teacher at Arrowtown Primary School.
He graduated from the Dunedin College of Education in 2002 and has had teaching stints in Auckland and the United States.
Chamberlain has played rugby, cricket and basketball at various levels, and is also keen on golf, touch and netball.
He will cover all sports in Central Otago, primarily at the weekend, and can be contacted via email (rhyschamberlain@gmail.com) and cellphone (027-370-1413).
