The Otago women's team will play two games against Canterbury in its only matches for the season.
Otago coach John Kyle said the team had hoped to get a game against Wellington but a date could not be arranged so it would just be the two games against its northern neighbour.
The matches will be played at Pleasant Point, a midway point for the two teams, on August 28 and September 11.
Kyle had named a squad last week and though he would be missing Black Ferns Carla Hohepa and Kelly Brazier, who are in the United Kingdom to play in the World Cup, he was happy with the team, which had plenty of experience.
He said the side had retained the nucleus of last year's side and had a few newcomers.
Front-rowers Beth Mallard, Gemma Tuhega and Ngamamae Rapata should make for a solid scrum, while Rachel Scott and Leyhana van Vugt are outstanding prospects in the loose forwards.
Out the back, Otago will rely on halfback Zoe Berry and outside back Janna Vaughan to create opportunities.
A captain has yet to be named but Kyle said it was likely Mallard would again lead the team.
He said Mallard was unlucky not to make the Black Ferns side but with 17 props at the national trials in June, competition for a place in the front row was white hot.
Canterbury had lost about half a dozen players to the national squad and will be tested for depth.
The New Zealand Rugby Union scrapped this year's women's national provincial championship as a cost-cutting measure and Kyle said for the sake of the sport he hoped it returned next year.
Players needed incentive to play and it would badly affect the national team if the national championship did not return, he said.
There were some outstanding prospects at secondary school level and they needed to play for their province to improve and stay in the game, after leaving school, Kyle said.
Kyle, who has coached the team for more than five years, will again be assisted by Quintin Edwards.
