Otago will start its sevens campaign today with both men and women having a hit-out at the University Oval.
The Otago men will play teams from Southland and South Canterbury, while the women will face a team from South Canterbury, as Southland withdrew. Both Otago squads will supply two teams.
Roy Hawker is again coaching the men's team this year, assisted by Luke Herden.
Otago has a good record in sevens and is the only team to make the top four of the national tournament in Queenstown over the past couple of years.
But this season is something of a changing of the guard with players leaving the province, being selected for other teams or not making themselves available at this stage.
Last year's key playmaker, Brad Weber, has moved to Waikato and is unlikely to play the abbreviated form of the game as he has been named in the Chiefs' wider training squad.
Gareth Evans has made the Highlanders while the likes of Matt Faddes and Peter Breen are having a rest after playing for Otago in the ITM Cup.
Some players may come back into consideration for the national tournament but Hawker said it was time to introduce new players.
Weber, Evans and Buxton Popoali'i, who starred for the team two years ago, have proved sevens is a platform to go further in the game.
The only Otago ITM Cup player making himself available at this stage is centre Kieran Moffat, who plays in the forwards in sevens.
Also back from last year are Tumua Ioane, Apelu Alapati and Aleki Morris.
One interesting newcomer is New Zealand schools winger Gavin Stark, although he will not be in action until later in the summer. He is concentrating on athletics until the middle of next month.
The women's side is coached by Mike Moeahu. He said the side had been training for a few weeks and has a solid core of players.
Halie Hurring, who is a New Zealand Rugby Union contracted sevens player, will be a key player for the Otago side. Kelly Brazier has just had surgery on a hip and will not be available.
Otago has a fair sprinkling of Spirit players such as Megan Manson, Greer Muir, Rachel Scott and Lucy Anderson, and will field two teams.
Junior Black Sticks hockey forward Pip Symes is in her second year with the side while boxer Bridgette Sefton will also play. The women's team will travel to Christchurch next weekend to play Canterbury and Brazil - which will have a team when it hosts the Olympics in 2016.
The South Island regional tournament, where teams qualify for the national tournament in Rotorua in January, will be in Timaru on November 23.
