A Highlanders development side will play four games over the next month, two of them against sides from the Pacific Islands.
The games against Tonga A and Samoa A are book-ended by games against the Crusaders in Dunedin and Timaru as the Island countries play in the Pacific Rugby Cup.
This competition is a step down from the Pacific Nations Cup where full international Pacific Island sides play in a tournament, along with Japan.
The sides playing the Highlanders will be mainly made up of players based in the Islands and will also play games against development sides from the Blues, Chiefs and Crusaders.
The same tournament was played last year but the Highlanders did not take part.
The Island sides also play games in Australia against teams from the Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies.
Highlanders high performance manager Greg O'Brien said the games in March would be a good way to give players some game time coming back from injury.
The side will be made up of players from the Highlanders squad, players from the Highlanders wider training group and promising players from the Otago and Southland region.
A development competition between the five New Zealand franchises was canned a few years ago because of cost.
The team will be coached by Otago assistant Phil Young, who will be assisted by Tim Colling and, when he gets back, by new Otago coach Tony Brown. Brown is still coaching in Japan.
O'Brien said the team had not yet been selected but would look at having a couple of training runs next week.
• The match between the Dunedin and Otago country club champions has been reinstated after being dropped last year.
Dunedin club champion Taieri will take on Maniototo at Forsyth Barr Stadium in a curtain raiser to the match between the Highlanders and the Crusaders on March 3.
The game was played in 2009 and 2010 but was not played last year.
Club rugby is scheduled to start on March 31 in Dunedin.
• The Highlanders have increased their season membership by nearly 20% and have 2788 season members.
Coupled with the 3100 Forsyth Barr Stadium members, there are at least 6000 tickets sold for every game played by the Highlanders at the new stadium.
Highlanders marketing manager Doug McSweeney was pleased with the numbers buying season tickets, which he said showed people wanted to support the team and the new stadium.
The Highlanders play seven games at the stadium this year, starting with the game against the Crusaders next week.
Highlanders development side programme
• v Crusaders, Dunedin, March
• v Samoa A, Dunedin, March 15
• v Tonga A, Dunedin, March 19
• v Crusaders, Timaru, March 2
