Edendale move spurs changes to club format

Rugby Southland staff have had a frantic couple of weeks following the withdrawal of Edendale from the premier club rugby competition.

The club’s decision has prompted yet another shake-up to the 2020 club season, which starts on March 28.

A 10-team premier competition was locked in place before Edendale contacted Rugby Southland a fortnight ago indicating it wanted to drop down to the 10-team divisionone competition.

Rugby Southland development officer Bob Cullen said Edendale had concerns regarding its forward stocks and they felt it would be better suited playing in division one.

This meant the premier competition would be reduced to nine teams and the division-one competition would increase to 11.

But with that format, Cullen said they were in line to have 23 byes throughout the season given the odd number of teams in the grades.

Te Anau then agreed to also step down, creating an eight-team premier competition and a 12-team division-one competition.

The competitions will still start on March 28, with each of the premier teams playing each other once in a round-robin format.

The top six teams will remain to fight it out for the Galbraith Shield, while the bottom two teams will join the top four division-one teams to contest the Ack Soper Shield.

The remaining eight division-one teams will square off for the Gerald Dermody Shield.

Cullen acknowledged it was disappointing that they were unable to retain the 12-team premier competition that was in place last year, but said he was comfortable with the make-up of club rugby this year.

‘‘We are really happy that Midlands and Wyndham will be there [in premier],’’ he said.

The Midlands and Pioneer clubs have this season entered another team in the senior ranks, while Cullen said the women’s competition had grown from six to seven teams.