Co-coaches David Hall and James Wilson confirmed their squad of 38 yesterday.
It features 13 uncapped players, including widely travelled first five Dan Hollinshead and former Otago No 8 Dylan Nel.
Hollinshead played for Bay of Plenty from 2014 to 2020, and popped up for the Highlanders in two games in 2019.
He has since played for two different clubs in France and in Japan, before signing a two-year deal to challenge the ageless Marty Banks and solid veteran Greg Dyer for the No10 Stags jersey.
Durban-born Nel was a blockbusting presence off the back of the scrum for Otago before getting a call-up to the Chiefs then joining the Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan.
He is joined in the Southland loose forward squadron by two other new caps, both of whom are no strangers to Otago fans.
Former Taieri captain Leroy Ferguson is joined by rising Kaikorai No8 Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa.
Japanese players Shunsuke Asaoka (hooker) and Rintaro Maruyama (outside back), who joined the champion Pirates Old Boys club from Toyota Verblitz this season, are in line to make their first appearances in the NPC.
Noah Foster, Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Angus Simmers are the other new faces in the backline.
Former North Harbour and Scarlets representative Danny Drake and Shneil Singh, a former Waikato junior who has experience in Japan, join veterans Josh Bekhuis and Mike McKee at lock.
Hooker Ben Strang and former Otago prop Jonah Aoina are newcomers in the front row.
The Stags will almost certainly be without All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot but still have the experienced Morgan Mitchell and Joe Walsh in the scrum, while new Highlanders signing Hayden Michaels will look for plenty of game time on the flank.
A fit-again Liam Howley will challenge Jay Renton at halfback, Scott Gregory and Matt Whaanga form a solid midfield, and Rory van Vugt and Michael Manson have experience and pace out wide.
The Stags, who won just one of 10 games last season, open their NPC campaign against Waikato in Invercargill on August 6.
Southland Stags
NPC squad
Props: Jonah Aoina, Shunsuke Asaoka, Ethan de Groot, Quinn Harrison-Jones, Paula Latu, Morgan Mitchell, Shaun Stodart, Joe Walsh.
Hookers: Jacob Payne, Ben Strang, Jack Taylor.
Locks: Josh Bekhuis (captain), Danny Drake, Mike McKee, Shneil Singh.
Loose forwards: Jacob Coghlan, Leroy Ferguson, Grayson Knapp, Hayden Michaels, Dylan Nel, Blair Ryall, Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa.
Inside backs: Marty Banks, Greg Dyer, Dan Hollinshead, Liam Howley, Jay Renton, Jahvis Wallace.
Midfield backs: Scott Gregory, Matt Whaanga, Angus Simmers, Tevita Latu.
Outside backs: Viliami Fine, Noah Foster, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Michael Manson, Rintaro Maruyama, Mike McKee, Rory van Vugt.
