North Otago clubs will be going it alone this year but will have a seventh team to expand the senior competition.
Combined competitions, first with South Canterbury and then with Dunedin premier division two clubs, have been tried in recent seasons, but it will be back to an all-local Citizens Shield this season.
There will be interest in the introduction of a seventh team, the Athletic Marist Colts, which creates a bye and has led to a mixed reaction from the existing clubs.
Athletic premier coach Wayne Kinzett believes the establishment of a second team will bring benefits to the club.
"It gives us all sorts of options.
"The Marist organisation selects a team every year and takes one player from each club, so it gives our players an opportunity, especially younger players," Kinzett said.
The two-team idea in Athletic is not new.
In the 1980s, Athletic fielded two teams to alleviate a bye.
Kinzett said fellow coach Ross Lory has been working with the Colts team for the past four or five years.
Athletic was concerned it would lose players without a senior B competition.
Athletic's top side will be similar to last year, though one of the Mafi propping brothers, Tavite, and utility back Grant Johnston are missing.
The return to North Otago of Faiatu Tuamoheloa, from Southland, will bolster the Athletic backline, which features the powerful Kasanova Soane.
Defending champion Valley will again be coached by John Schultz.
There will be a few holes, with Barry Fox hitting the golf course and fellow veterans Mike Mavor and Nathan Cunningham still pondering their future, but Schultz believes just their presence at the club will still be an asset.
Valley has two good halfbacks, Hamish McKenzie and Nick Webster, meaning one of them will have to play at first five-eighth.
The club has lost prop John Blakely, openside flanker Scott Hooper and hooker Tobias Sekona, but North Otago utility forward Dave Simpson is back and younger players such as Mark Roney have developed.
Schultz is not convinced the competition will be improved by having a seventh team.
He worries some of the bigger forwards in the district will lose conditioning when they have a fortnight off.
Excelsior, under Sammy Talanoa and Shaun Matthews, is still short of a few players in the backline but is expected to pick up more players soon, including some from England.
Experienced lock Jason Millns is doubtful with a knee injury, while front-rower Tokelau Tatafu has married and moved to Christchurch.
The Blues front row looks strong, with Rangi Hepi coming back to fit in with Akili Namuaira.
Maheno, according to long-serving flanker and North Otago stalwart Ross Hay, is "battling".
"We're getting there.
"We're getting a reasonable number at training but the influx of dairying into the region has not really helped rugby.
"Jobs just don't fit in with the current time schedule on Saturdays for games."
Hay will be back, along with five-eighth Mike Hore.
Lock Andrew Fisher will appear later in the season while club stalwarts Malcolm Vince and Shane Buchan look like carrying the boots again this season.
Kurow coach Ross Paton will be joined by Kevin Malcolm this season.
Kurow has had a couple of preseason games, against Waimate and Valley, and showed some good first-half form, but Paton said numbers were down on last season.
"We've got a couple of overseas props to arrive in late April but the line-up will be basically the same as last year," Paton said.
Kurow will rely on a backline containing Ross McCone, Rob Waldie, Kyle Jarvis, Craig Robson and Jason Frew, while Scott Kingan, Wallace Milne, Mike Paterson and AJ Paton return to the pack.
Former North Otago No 8 Regan Laughton has played in both early games, while the club has also acquired Gareth Isbister and tall Waimate lock Marshall Smith.
Old Boys, which is preparing for its centennial in 2011, is under Tai Halelele and Mark Wilson, and has made one major acquisition.
Classy halfback Kalifi Fangupo, who played for the New Zealand XV and North Otago in 2007, has been in Hawke's Bay for the past two years but has returned to Oamaru to play for Old Boys.
"We haven't had a lot of depth in that position for years," Wilson said.
"We've had reasonable backlines but no-one really to set them alight.
"With Kalifi there, we'll be able to feed the likes of Lemi Masoe, Roma Sefo and Nathan Oakes."
Old Boys has lost powerful No 8 Joe Mamea, who is playing in Spain, but is expecting more players from overseas, including a first five.
Front-rower Ralph Darling and loose forward Ben Bloxsom feature in a strong forward pack.
