Otago Rugby Union eNewsletter

Editorial

Happy Easter everyone! There's a bit of movement with rugby this week, many games taking place outside of regular days and times so make sure you check the draws to prevent missing your team's matches. Note, there are no games being played in the Central region over Easter. You can check out the draw & all results by clicking HERE. Metro Men's & Women's Div 1, Central & Southern Prems full draw images below.

Easter Rugby Under the roof TONIGHT!!! Get along to Forsyth Barr Stadium tonight to catch two epic games of Division 1 men's rugby. Free parking & free entry! More details below…

Last chance… If you are coaching a U14 team and above you must be Rugby Smart accredited. Your last opportunity to do this will be Wednesday 7th May, 6pm at the ORFU offices at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Gate J, Level 2A.

Volunteer of the Month is back! We love recognising the incredible people that keep our game running. This year we've teamed up with Prezzy Card to offer some epic prizes, so be sure to submit a nomination for the legends in your clubs & Schools. Scroll down for more info.

All Blacks v France kicks off in Dunedin on 5 July and Otago Memberships get you access to the best seats in the house!!! 2025 Memberships are on sale now with the option to secure Premium or Category A seating that is no longer available online, up until 1 May. Secure your membership and Test ticket here

Calling all Junior Rugby Coaches!!! You'll want to make sure that you've attended the required Small Blacks course. Scroll down below to see Small Blacks course dates for your area or if you have questions reach out to michael.smith@orfu.co.nz.

The 2025 NPC & FPC Draws are out! Scroll down to check out our Home Games, or check out the full Draws here… FULL NPC DRAW, FULL FPC DRAW.

Scroll down for more rugby news and announcements like development opportunities, weekly happenings, rugby courses and more…

ODT Interesting Reads!

Form sides continue momentum

We all know that the rugby community couldn’t function without our dedicated volunteers!

Thanks to our new supporting partner Prezzy Card, between April and July, we are celebrating our incredible Volunteers, and we lay down the challenge for every club and school to nominate at least one person this season!

Complete the form or send us a message via the Otago Community Rugby Facebook page… include their name, photo and a brief description of their contributions!

ORFU will select four nominees each month to be featured on our Otago Community Facebook page and the community votes for their favourite volunteer!

Thanks to Prezzy Card there are great rewards up for grabs!

Monthly Winner – Receives a $100 Prezzy Card
Other 3 monthly nominees – Each receive a $50 Prezzy Card
Bonus Draw – All nominations go into a draw to win a $500 Prezzy Card for both the individual and their club/school!

All nominees will also be considered for the Otago Rugby Volunteer of the Year: Ray Byrne Memorial Award, with the winner going on to be nominated for NZ Rugby Volunteer of the Year.

Otago Rugby will be holding an open training session for any players who are interested in representing the Otago U19's representative team this year.

This session will be held at Logan Park 6 between 5.00-6.30 pm on Wednesday 30th April. Boys can use the changing facilities under Hill City Athletics Club (next to Logan Park 6) to get changed and store their gear.

Please still register and come along if you are injured. If you cannot make the session for whatever reason or have any other queries, please email Isaac Smith at isaac.smith@orfu.co.nz

We are seeking nominations for our two advisory groups for the 2025 season and beyond in both the Youth and Women’s Rugby space.

The key purpose of our two advisory groups is to provide insight and advice to support the progression of positive rugby for these two areas.

As a member of an Advisory, you will assist the ORFU to engage and grow the participation of teenagers and women/girls in the rugby community.

YOUTH ADVISORY

We are looking for two positions currently and you must be:

13-18 years of age
Attending or have attended high school
Have a passion for rugby, and ideally be involved in the game
Be available for meetings 4 times a year (online is an option)

WOMEN & GIRLS ADVISORY

There are two positions for this advisory currently

You must be over 18
Have an involvement in Women/Girls Rugby, either as a player, coach or parent/guardian of a female player.
Be available to meet 4 times a year (online is an option)

For more information or to nominate yourself or someone for these roles please email Warren Kearney warren.kearney@orfu.co.nz