North Otago!

In recent times, rugby in the provinces and rural regions has seen a bit of renaissance and renewal in popularity with growing crowds at Heartland Rugby games as well as ITM Cup games outside New Zealand's 5 major cities.

By the way, when I mean growing crowds, I mean increments of hundreds rather than thousands which is outstanding given New Zealand's small population already in the urban areas.

It's a shame then that Heartland Rugby on TV gets very limited coverage other than one hour weekly highlight show on Sky Sports - perhaps this could be an area Sommet Sports could fill, i.e. two feature Heartland Rugby games delayed per week?

Because it is a damn good and open competition and one that really features rugby at the grassroots. Yes, it's not quite Super Rugby or All Black standard but this is rugby played by the average Joes, the miners, the farmers, construction workers during the week who only train at most twice a week if they're lucky.

One team that Highlanders fans have gotten to love in the last ten years is North Otago.

Probably one of the smallest of the Heartland Rugby unions, the union that serves the area south of the Waitaki and north of Waikouaiti (border of the city of Dunedin) has really punched above its weight in recent times and become a consistent challenger for Heartland Rugby's Meads and Lochore Cups - often for the higher-ranked Meads Cup.

The North Otago Rugby Union has received quite strong backing financially and player wise by the bigger Highlanders and Otago rugby unions and as a result, is one of the better run smaller unions in the land. Indeed it is often an early grazing ground for budding Otago and Highlanders players - think Matt Saunders - and even future England players, i.e. Tom Wood.

Tom Wood, now an England international

While the days when players born in the likes of Kurow, Omarama, Hampden, etc. like one Messrs Richie McCaw, played for the union for the rest of their careers are gone, at least the pride in the region is still evident and will be this Saturday when North Otago take on Mid Canterbury for the Meads Cup in Ashburton.

The All Blacks' captain is a North Otago boy

North Otago will face their former coach, Glenn Moore, in bid for another Meads Cup in as many seasons with Mid Canterbury experiencing a bit of a resurgence. There will probably be a handful of North Otago fans making the 2 hour drive up State Highway 1 from Oamaru to Ashburton on a big weekend for New Zealand provincial rugby.

Glenn Moore - former Otago, Highlanders coach is now coaching Mid Canterbury

Indeed, it is a big weekend for provincial rugby in the newly named Pounamu island, with South Canterbury taking on Buller in Timaru for the Lochore Cup and of course, Tasman and Canterbury in the ITM Cup Finals.

Shame an Otago side isn't in it, so go North Otago !