Sav's Sidelines: The festering rivalry that sport needs
Sav's Sidelines - the weekly column that looks at Southland rugby, from the grassroots to the professional ranks.
This week’s Sav’s Sidelines column highlights the Stag who has an MLR title to his name, touches on the festering Southland-Otago rivalry, and points to the Italian connection for a Southland Stag at the World U20 Championship.
The festering rivalry that sport needs…
It appears Southland might have poked a stick at Otago rugby for long enough now that it’s got a very annoyed reaction.
And it’s exactly the sort of festering rivalry that sport needs.
Southland and Otago rugby have been going at it for 138 years, with close to 250 first-class games played between the two provinces.
But for a good chunk of that time, it has felt like Southland might have been more invested in the rivalry than Otago.
I’m not so sure that’s now the case, though.
Passionate Otago supporter Mark Currie wrote on social media last year: “Southland are obsessed with us but they're an irrelevance to us.”
Sorry Mark… I call bullshit.
Last week, I watched Southland Boys’ High School beat Kings’ High School 15-12 in a tense traditional first XV interschool fixture in Dunedin.
As we were leaving, an Otago Rugby Union staff member - decked out in his full Otago kit, and ready to hop into his Otago Rugby-branded work ute - said to us, “Close but not cigar”.
He was obviously unaware of where our loyalties lay.
I responded, “That depends on which side of the fence you sit”, trying to point out we actually were satisfied with a Southland Boys’ victory.
It appears he didn’t pick up on that and went on to say, “Any loss to a Southland team is tough to take, isn’t it?”.
That comment came with some meaning.
It appears Rugby Southland’s move to set up a satellite academy in Dunedin has lit a fuse.
That’s on top of luring former Otago captain Sean Withy back home, latching onto Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, who was once on a development contract with Otago, and Otago looseforward Sam Fischli signing with Southland this year.
Plus, plenty more examples of a stick being poked at Otago.
There’s a growing list of grievances being filed away in the minds of those at Otago Rugby HQ.
ODT’s Paul Dwyer said this on an episode of his Rugby Chat programme last week: “[Southland] is running their own little development squad out at Dunedin Rugby Club on a Wednesday night and that is causing a lot of angst around town.”
“I’m getting a lot of feedback from a lot of people,” Dwyer said.
I’m not sure Southland is as irrelevant to Otago as some once suggested, given the amount of time they are now thinking about Southland.
There’s a sense of hatred towards Southland, and I love it.
Again, sport needs this and that is why a crowd of 10,000 is being touted for the Southland-Otago showdown at Rugby Park this year.
If Southland rugby followers weren’t aware that Otago Rugby now has a big bold circle around August 2, with the clear goal of tipping over the Southland Stags, they should be.
Last year’s Stag Day showdown was one to remember, but it feels like the 2025 Southland-Otago derby will go to new levels.
Our neighbours north of the border are planning some sort of “Otago of takeover” at Rugby Park on August 2.
Good luck with that.
Otago is an annoyed “big brother” at the moment, and that is healthy for this rivalry.
Stags first five claims Major League Rugby title…
Stags first five-eighth Dan Hollinshead has packed a championship-winning medal into his luggage as he makes his way to Southland for the 2025 NPC season.
Hollinshead was part of the New England Free Jacks team which beat the Houston Sabercats 28-22 on Sunday morning [NZ time] to win the United States’ 2025 Major League Rugby title.
It was the third straight MLR title for the Free Jacks.
From a neutral’s perspective, Sunday morning’s final probably lacked in skill level and execution, although it was a tense decider that did go to the 80th minute.
Hollinshead will now make the move to Invercargill to link with the Southland Stags for the 2025 NPC season starting on August 2.
The Stags officially assemble together on Monday, July 7.
The first five-eighth position has been somewhat problematic for the Stags in recent seasons, with no player grabbing the No 10 jersey and making a mark at that level.
Hollinshead, 30, looms as an experienced option for the Stags this season.
The former Bay of Plenty first five-eighth was signed by Southland in 2023 and played eight games for the Stags that season.
Unfortunately, he then missed the entire 2024 NPC season after suffering a knee injury playing for LA in the Major League Rugby comp, but he will be back for a third crack with Southland this year.
While many Stags fans will know Faletoi Peni as a second five-eighth, he may spend some time at first five during this year’s NPC season.
Interestingly, Peni was playing first five for the championship-winning New England Free Jacks this year before he picked up an injury in April and returned to New Zealand early.
Hollinshead was brought in to replace Peni at first five-eighth.
Byron Smith is also back in the mix as a first five-eighth option for the Stags after playing in all 10 games last season. He started in six of those games.
Pirates-Old Boys’ Kaea Nikora-Balloch is another option after he made his Stags debut at the end of the 2024 NPC season.
Eighteen-year-old Mika Muliaina is certainly Southland’s first five for the future and will more than likely spend some time in and around the Stags’ setup this year.
Other current Stags who lined up in the 2025 Major League Rugby competition were backs Rory van Vugt and Isaac Te Tamaki.
Halfback Jay Renton - who hasn’t been re-signed by the Stags for 2025 - came off the bench with about 13 minutes to play for Houston in the MLR final against New England Free Jacks.
Harvey’s Italian homecoming of sorts…
Southland’s Tayne Harvey and Shaun Kempton both came off the bench for the New Zealand Under-20s in their World Championship opener against Italy in Italy on Monday morning (NZ time).
There’s a nice story attached to Harvey’s selection that is worth noting.
Harvey spent some of his childhood living in Italy when his dad Matthew was playing professionally in Italy.
In somewhat of a homecoming, Harvey’s parents have made the trip back to Italy not just to cheer on their son, but they will also revisit the Italian club, Viadana, which Matthew played for in the early 2000s.
And added to it all is the fact New Zealand will play its second pool game against Georgia at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, which is home to Harvey’s former club Viadana.
Harvey is a midfielder while Kempton is a hooker, were both introduced in the second half of the 14-5 win over Italy.
It was far from a polished performance from New Zealand, but it was a job done before the next Pool C game against Georgia on Saturday morning.
Following the U20 World Championship, which finishes on July 20, Harvey and Kempton will join the Southland Stags squad for the 2025 NPC season.
