As part of an initiative from the Otago Rugby Football Union and services company Delta, a "super coaches" programme has been launched.
ORFU commercial manager Mike Kerr said it would involve contracted players getting out and helping out junior teams at various clubs.
Through the next six weeks, all 22 contracted players with Otago would be assigned to a club and would help coach junior primary school age teams.
They would be at a training during the week and would then go along to the games on a Saturday, helping out with the warm-up and during the game.
They would also hand out players of the day awards, including a free ticket for a parent or guardian to an Otago game, and other awards. Awards would be for both teams in the game.
The players would move around teams every week right throughout the age grades.
Kerr said Delta, as part of a new sponsorship deal with the union, wanted to get the players out into the community and help the junior levels of the game. He declined to say how much the deal was worth to the union.
Otago coach Phil Mooney had been fully supportive of the initiative, wanting to get the players fully involved in the community.
The Otago union was on a fund-raising drive to secure funds for the upcoming season, one of the most critical for the union as it seeks to finish in the top seven in the ITM Cup.
It has finished 10th in the past two seasons. The top seven qualify for the premiership while the bottom seven play in the championship in 2011.
Kerr said there had been good interest in the new First XV fundraising initiative, and a new venture for farmers had just started. Farmers who wanted to support Otago rugby could give stock sent for processing and the proceeds would go to Otago rugby.
Meat companies such as Silver Fern Farms had come on board, helping to fund the money from the farmers to the union.
