Otago Rugby Union eNewsletter

Editorial

The draw will be looking a little different across some of our metro teams this weekend. With Uni exams taking place the affected teams will be playing their games tonight to ensure students can still participate. Be sure to check the draw if your intending to be on the sidelines!! It's looking like a cold weekend of weather across the region so wrap up warm and drive safe everyone!

Introducing “The Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield”. In honour of Tuppy's enduring legacy, a new rugby competition—the Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield—is set to commence in August. This tournament will feature teams from Otago Metro North, Otago Metro South, Otago Country, Southland Country and Southland Metro. The competition aims to celebrate Tuppy’s passion for rugby and his significant contributions to the sport in the Otago and Southland regions. The Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield not only commemorates a rugby stalwart but also fosters regional camaraderie and competition, reflecting the values Tuppy championed throughout his life.

We've got Year 8 & U14 Development days taking place in both country and metro kicking off from Sunday. (Note: U14 players need to be in Secondary School for this opportunity) Come along and hone your catch, pass and tackle skills!! Full details down below.

Club rugby is in full swing so make sure you get along to support your team. You can check out the Club Rugby draw & all results by clicking HERE.

2025 Season Memberships are on sale now. With 5 NPC Home games (including 2 Double Headers with Otago Spirit) get in behind Otago and secure your membership HERE

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!

Hope new refs donning green jerseys will create empathy

What a great day we had celebrating country rugby last weekend! The Otago Country Board would like to extend a huge thank you to all the players, coaches, managers, referees, medics, and volunteers who helped make this year’s Country Day so special. A special shoutout to the Alexandra Rugby Football Club for hosting an exceptional day! The crowd was treated to a great lineup of curtain-raisers leading into the main event. Congratulations to the Central Region Premier team on taking home the Topp Cup – a proud tradition against Southern that dates all the way back to 1913. And finally, a big thank you to Property Brokers and all our incredible sponsors and supporters – we couldn’t do it without you!

Photography by Si Leeds

Prezzy Card OCR VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH - May 🏅

Our next round of Volunteers is open for Voting! Head to the OTAGO COMMUNITY RUGBY Facebook page this to have your say!

Voting closes on Sunday 15 June 2025 at 5pm

Read why these great Volunteers have been selected this month!

Gavin Bartlett - Wakatipu Rugby Club🏉

Gavin puts in a tremendous amount of time and commitment to the Wakatipu Club. He wears many hats. Some examples amongst many include, turning up on a Sunday morning to clean the clubrooms to ensure they are ready for the next week, setting up grounds for a High School game in town and answering and sending correspondence to ensure the club is in good health in all areas. He always has his hand up not out amongst his busy schedule and is the glue for Wakatipu Rugby Club.

Tyla O’Neill - Alexandra Rugby Club🏉

Tyla gives countless hours behind the scenes—coordinating activities, planning events, and keeping our community engaged with numerous social media posts that truly capture the spirit of the club. This month, her efforts shone brightly as she organised an incredible Club Day with 22 games all up, creating a memorable experience for members and supporters, not to mention she is 24 years old and very passionate for the sport of Rugby!!

Andrew Aitken - West Taieri Rugby Club🏉

Andrew has been in every role in the club for several years from junior coach to committee, metro rep and now colts team manager. He shows up when he says he will even after his children have aged out of the junior club to help with fundraisers, never shying away from putting a 'pinny' on to carve the roasts up. Now his oldest has come into the senior club he's taken on the team manager role showing the leadership we need in the club to guide these young players. He's a true team player and we really appreciate everything he has done for the juniors over the years, and we are so grateful he is still part of the club!

Tony (Rab) Kearney - Eastern Junior Rugby Club🏉

Tony has been hands-on within our junior club for nearly a decade. He’s coached every grade from ripper to Year 7/8, has been a valuable member of the committee, is a “yes man” when asked to help out, and finally …is just a genuine good bugger

In honour of Tuppy's enduring legacy, a new rugby competition—the Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield—is set to commence in August. This tournament will feature teams from Otago Metro North, Otago Metro South, Otago Country, Southland Country and Southland Metro. The competition aims to celebrate Tuppy’s passion for rugby and his significant contributions to the sport in the Otago and Southland regions. The Tuppy Diack Memorial Shield not only commemorates a rugby stalwart but also fosters regional camaraderie and competition, reflecting the values Tuppy championed throughout his life.

Ernest 'Tuppy' Diack: A Rugby Legacy Honoured

Ernest Sinclair "Tuppy" Diack (22 July 1930 – 16 May 2025) was a distinguished New Zealand rugby union player renowned for his contributions both on and off the field. Born in Invercargill, Diack played as a wing three-quarter, representing Otago and, briefly, Southland at the provincial level. He made history as the first player to reach 100 appearances for Otago, amassing 101 matches and scoring 746 points. His prowess earned him a place in the All Blacks, where he played a test match against the British Lions in 1959.

Beyond his playing career, Diack was deeply involved in rugby administration and coaching. He served as coach and president of the Otago University Rugby Club and was a life member of both the club and the Otago Rugby Football Union (ORFU), where he also held the position of president in 2005. His dedication to the sport extended to his role as a selector and coach for the New Zealand Universities team.

In 2015 Otago Polytechnic, with the Otago Rugby Football Union, established the ORFU Scholarship to assist students with both sporting and academic aspirations

Two Scholarships are on offer for players wishing to study at the Otago Polytechnic in 2026. One male and one female will be chosen.

Applications for the 2026 Otago Rugby/Otago Polytechnic scholarship applications are now open!

The following conditions apply:

Two FULL fees scholarships for one year of full-time study will be awarded at the discretion of the Otago Rugby Football Union for study starting in the year 2026*.
This scholarship applies to Domestic students only.
Candidates for the scholarship must be nominated by the Otago Rugby Football Union.
Candidates must meet minimum entry requirements for their programme of choice.
The scholarship may be held concurrently with other awards/grants, subject to approval of Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Rugby Football Union has the power to terminate the scholarship if the recipient ceases to follow regulations of the programme of study and/or bring the reputation of the Otago Polytechnic or the Otago Rugby Football Union into disrepute.

APPLY HERE

* Please note...receiving a scholarship does not ensure inclusion into the Otago Women’s and Men’s Academy programmes for 2026.