2020 Representative Fixtures
Due to COVID-19 disruptions earlier in April, New Zealand Rugby and New Zealand's Provincial Unions collectively made the decision to cancel the 2020 Heartland Championship. Despite this setback, North Otago Rugby is pleased to announce the 2020 representative fixtures for our senior North Otago team.
Following on from a unique shortened club rugby season, North Otago will come together to play 7 representative fixtures from August 21 until October 3.
The season will feature a Friday night match under lights in Maheno, with a North Otago XV taking on an Otago XV. Players for this match will be selected from the four clubs not competitng in the 2020 Citizens Shield final.
Following this, North Otago will then travel to Christchurch to challenge Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield. It's the second succesive Ranfurly Shield challenge for North Otago, having challenged Otago for the Log O' Wood in 2019. It will be North Otago's fifteenth challenge for the Ranfurly Shield, the fifth time challenging Canterbury for it with the last encounter coming in 2011.
In what has now become an important annual fixture, the Speights Trophy match between North Otago and Otago Country will be played in Twizel. North Otago are the current holders of this prized trophy.
"It's all about giving local players a piece of the 2020 representative action!"
"This will be a season of consolidation and developing our strong group of talented young players. The obvious highlight will be our Ranfurly Shield Challenge against Canterbury. The stuff "dreams are made of"! Also, it is great that we continue to build the outstanding relationships that we have with both Otago and Otago Country."
- North Otago Rugby CEO, Colin Jackson
Also in the trophy cabinet from a succesful 2019 season is the Hanan Shield. In recent years the Hanan Shield had been played for within in the Heartland Championship, so with this competition not going ahead for 2020 a new Hanan Shield series has been created to find a winner.
This series will feature each team playing the other two sides twice, in a home and away format. For North Otago, this will mean a home game against South Canterbury first up before back to back matches against Mid Canterbury. A return match against South Canterbury will then be played in Timaru.
"A preliminary Training Squad is to be named next week. More additions to the squad will be made as club form is assessed weekly. So for players not named in this initial squad the door is still open for them to make their way in."
- North Otago Head Coach, Jason Forrest
2020 Representative Fixtures
- August 21 - North Otago XV vs Otago XV, Maheno - 7pm
- August 28 - Ranfurly Shield Challenge Canterbury vs North Otago, Rugby Park Christchurch - 2.05pm
- September 5 - North Otago v Otago Country, Twizel - 2.30pm
- September 12 - North Otago V South Canterbury, Whitestone Contacting Stadium Oamaru - 2.30pm
- September 19 - Mid Canterbury v North Otago, Ashburton - 2.30pm
- September 26 - North Otago V Mid Canterbury, Whitestone Contacting Stadium Oamaru - 2.30pm
- October 3 - South Canterbury v North Otago, Alpine Energy Stadium Timaru - 2.30pm