Places in the Heartland championship squad will be on the line when Bush and Wairarapa meet in the annual sub-unions rugby match at Pahiatua on Monday.
Head coach Mark Rutene has stressed those players who took the field for Wairarapa-Bush in the representative fixture with Horowhenua-Kapiti at the Westpac Stadium lastSaturday won't necessarily be in the Heartland side, and the door is still open for those not involved there to push their claims.
The starting line-ups for Monday's teams won't be finalised until after Saturday's round of club games because of the possibility of injuries, but if the past two meetings between the two teams is anything to go by it should be a closely-contested affair.
The Wairarapa team is drawn from the Greytown, Martinborough, Carterton, Gladstone, East Coast, Pioneer, Marist and Rams premier division club sides and Bush from Bush Sports, Puketoi and Eketahuna.
Monday's match, which will kick off at 2pm, was to have been preceded by a Wairarapa v Bush colts fixture but that has been cancelled due to Bush not being able to field a team.
The Wairarapa squad is: Matt Kawana, Richard Puddy, Adam Marshall, Kurt Simmonds, Lance Graves, Andrew McLean, Lachie McFadzean, Wiremu Grace, Lee Ewe, James Goodger, Jim Temoci, Johnie McFadzean, Cody Whittaker, Inia Katia, Tipene Haira, Mike te Whare, Troy Bramley, Nathan Hunt, Damian Kamo-Paku, Guy Wood, Nick Olson. The Bush squad was not available at the time of going to print.
