More than 50 Southland players have had access to quality early season rugby through their involvement in either Super Rugby, the Highlanders Bravehearts, a Southland XV or the Highlanders under-20s.
Star are the Galbraith Shield holders after beating Pirates Old Boys 22-18 in the final last year.
Star coach Brayden Mitchell will be doing well to lead his side to the finals this year after a mass exodus of players for various reasons.
Stags prop Jack Sexton is playing his club rugby in Dunedin after the Highlanders campaign, while Star will be without powerful No 8 Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa while he is starring for Moana Pasifika.
Captain Jordan Stewart is based in Central Otago this year.
Halfback Lachie Albert has taken rugged forwards Nick and Jayden Henderson back to Australia with him to play. Fullback Cole Spinks has also crossed the Ditch.
Star will host Pirates Old Boys at Waverly Park today.
• Pirates Old Boys are celebrating their 25th season this year.
While Dayna Cunningham has been helping coach the Highlanders under-20, assistants Ben McHugh, Tua Tuapati, Josh Walker and Sam McLachlan have been preparing the team.
Pirates Old Boys’ talented young front-rowers Jay Fisher, Shaun Kempton and Thomas Jennings have also been campaigning with the Baby Landers.
The Hawks backline again features proven match-winners Greg Dyer, Jaye Thompson and Kaea Nikora-Balloch.
• Woodlands will host the Eastern Northern Barbarians on today.
Woodlands coach Richard Jones will be hoping to get plenty out of loose forward Justin Shaw this year after he has finished his second campaign with the Highlanders under-20s.
Stags props Joe Walsh and Paula Latu will be a big loss this year for Woodlands after heading back north. Sione Baker had been good out wide in recent seasons but his departure has been offset by the arrival of Fletcher Morgan.
Captain Liam Howley will team up with Sean Howlet in the halves.
The Eastern Northern Barbarians’ new coaches are AJ Aitken, Blake Korteweg and Woody Kirkwood.
Aitken is intent on fostering the relationship between the Barbarians and their catchment clubs in the Eastern and Northern sub-unions.
Blake has been playing and coaching with Pioneer in recent seasons while Kirkwood will be the lineout and ruck coach while he works to regain his fitness to take the field himself.
Stags squad members Jacob Coghlan and Angus Simmers are the on-field leaders again this year.
Coghlan has been joined in the loose forwards by youngsters Zack Donovan and Benny Hill.
The Barbarians’ front-row depth, led by Stags tighthead prop Morgan Mitchell, is the envy of every club.
• Blues had their 150-year celebrations last season but the senior team struggled for success on the field.
Individual players from the club playing for the Highlanders are Hayden Michaels, Ethan de Groot and Michael Manson, and former Blues club player Arese Poliko is with the Hurricanes.
The new coaching team at Blues this year consists of Ben Paulin, James Wilson and Mike Cunningham.
Hooker Jacob Payne has had a summer in Japan playing with the Verblitz club. Verblitz are likely to send a couple of their development players back to play in the Southland club competition again this year.
Blues are hosting Marist on opening day.
Derek Manson is the Marist head coach again this year with support from Regan Wilson. Manager Jeremy Boyle knows the Marist club and premier grade like the back of his hand.
The division one and two competitions begin next Saturday.
