• Dunedin Premier rugby team profiles
Medder (73), the oldest coach in the history of Dunedin premier rugby, will coach Harbour for the second year in a row and Belcher (28) will coach the Southern premiers for the first time.
Medder thought he had served his time when he retired in 1993 after a long coaching stint with Port Chalmers and Harbour.
But he was thrust back into the hot seat because of the lack of suitable volunteers at his club last winter.
It will not be any easier for Medder this year because he has lost 11 players from last year's squad and is concerned at the overall depth at the club.
Belcher is the second-youngest coach of a premier side after the great Vic Cavanagh who coached Southern in the 1930s.
He has done his apprenticeship with Southern junior sides for the past five years.
Belcher has won the banner with the Southern Magpies colts team for the last two years.
Belcher has replaced Daryl Paterson who coached Southern for the past four years.
He will coach the Kings High School first XV this year.
Southern, one of the great clubs in Otago rugby, has won 21 banners and finished runner-up when it lost 11-10 to Dunedin in the final last winter.
The club has been strengthened by the return of four elite players.
Former All Black prop Kees Meeuws, who last played for Southern in 2001, has returned from overseas stints in France and Wales.
Former Otago lock Uili Kolo'ofai has come back from Japan, Greg Zampach has returned from Zingari-Richmond and halfback Lewis Hancock has recovered from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined last winter.
The big losses are Cam Goodhue, the vigorous No 8, who has shifted to Northland and counter-attacking fullback Apelu Alapati, who is now playing in Wellington.
The competition format has been built around the clubs' desire to have Otago representative players playing for their clubs, especially in the semifinals and final.
The format is designed to fit in with the national championship that begins on the last weekend in July.
New Otago coach Phil Mooney wants top players to play club rugby.
The format will favour Southern and University A, teams that have elite players in their ranks.
Dunedin, last year's champion, has lost key players, with big lock Michael Gurran shifting to Northland, and No 8 and captain Scott McKee and John Crossan both heading to Scotland.
Dunedin still has its formidable coaching team led by head coach Ed Baker, who is backed by Mark Scully and Ross Hanson.
Marty Gray is the new coach of Alhambra-Union which won banners in 2006 and 2008.
Ueli Faletolu, assistant coach to Mike Moeahu for the past four years, will fill the same role again.
Former premier coach Ian Arthur is back as an assistant.
The big losses from last year are hooker Ben Pereira (Sydney), lock Cowan Finch (Auckland) and Otago wing Karne Hesketh, who is now playing his rugby in Japan.
Taieri is coached by former Southland representative Graeme Anderson, and he will be assisted by former Southland coach Phil Young.
They have recruited Otago representatives in halfback James Kenny from Lawrence.
He will team with former Kaikorai first five-eighth Andrew Reid, who has returned from overseas.
Flanker Nathan Young has also returned from overseas.
Pirates only sneaked into the play-offs last year but shocked top qualifier Southern in the first round and then thumped Alhambra-Union in the third-fourth game.
The Hawkers, co-coaches Roy and father Russell, have maintained a stable squad, which will again feature a vastly experienced forward pack and a backline guided by influential first five-eighth Glenn Dickson, when he returns from England in a few weeks.
"I think our squad is stronger overall, with a bit more depth than last year," Roy Hawker said.
"We hope we've created an environment where people want to be on the paddock, and guys will fight for their places."
The most significant addition to the Pirates squad is Jeremy Cave, from Green Island.
The Otago sevens flyer will join Marshall Suckling in a potent Pirates outside back group.
Medder has lost 11 players from last year's Harbour squad and is concerned at the overall depth at the club.
"We're a bit thin. I don't know where all the young fellows have gone," Medder said.
Harbour has recruited three useful backs - Southern fullback Craig Sneddon, Alhambra-Union winger Wayne Gibson and Zingari-Richmond halfback Johnny Legg - to join the talents of centre Siaosi Folau and outstanding forwards Eben Joubert and Peter Mirrielees.
Kaikorai is looking for an improved year and has a more settled look to its squad this season.
Last year it lost 17 players from its 2008 squad and spent much of the season trying to get combinations going.
Brent Lucas is back in his second year as coach and will share the duties with former Kaikorai winger Donald Muldrew.
An interesting newcomer is halfback Tomasi Palu, from Wellington, while No 8 Kensak Palepoi has lost weight and improved his fitness.
Adam Hill will captain the team while solid midfield pairing Matt Direen and Mark McGregor are turning out again.
Zingari-Richmond has been hard hit by player losses, and will be relying on the experience of coaches Peter Michaels and Les Patrick.
They are joined by former Otago Boys High School First XV coach Bevan Townsend.
The team has lost 20 players from last year and Patrick admits there may be some holes to fill.
Hooker Mason Pomare has gone to Perth, flanker Ryan Newman is playing in the United Kingdom and first five-eighth Matt Gordon is having a year off.
But the players had a good attitude, he said, and would not want for trying.
They had a solid pre-season and would have the added bonus of Highlander Jayden Hayward playing for them in the early rounds.
The team will be captained by experienced forward Chris Bell.
Lock Matt Larsen may be back from overseas in late May but Patrick said they were not relying on him turning up.
Green Island also has some new coaches with former Otago players Brett McCormack and Nick Moore taking charge.
McCormack said he wanted to get some dignity back in the club, and pride back in the Green Island jersey.
He has promoted some colts players, while the majority of last year's side is back.
The side has lost winger Jeremy Cave to Pirates but injury had restricted his appearances for Green Island in the past couple of seasons.
Veteran hooker Brent Short has hung up his boots but his older brother, Jason, may be called to hold up one end of the scrum.
