That has been the entree, but the main course will arrive this Saturday when the new-look seven-team Division 1 kicks off for the Round 1 Trevor Olney Cup competition.
Fresh to the top grade, Counties will make the trek over to Memorial Park to face the 2025 Premier champions, Taihape.
Also returning to the top grade, Ruapehu have an extra week for their training preparations as they take the first bye, having let go of their planned Division 2 team to concentrate playing resources on the top side.
Rātana will host last year’s runner-up Kaierau at the Pa, no doubt with fond memories of their last meeting in June, when Rātana’s backs ran rampant in a 34-13 victory.
However, it is likely both sides will have new personnel, especially in the on-field leadership group for Kaierau.
The big game will be at Spriggens Park as last season’s beaten semi-finalists Marist and Border battle it out for the Challenge Shield.
As their five-year championship run was finally ended in 2025, Border felt the rapidly improving Marist team coming up behind them as the two sides split a couple of classic fixtures which went right down to the wire.
Marist survived a missed penalty on fulltime to beat Border 26-24 at Spriggens in May, their first win over the Waverley club in six years.
A month later at Dallison Park, Border withstood a strong second-half comeback from their confident visitors, who were on a five-match winning streak, to hang on 29-25 and make their semi-final spot safe.
Kickoffs will be 2.45pm.
Draw, April 11
Division 1
2.45pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change):
Rātana v Kaierau, Rātana Pa; Challenge Shield – Marist v Border, Spriggens Park; Taihape v Counties, Memorial Park. Bye: Ruapehu.
Division 2
1pm kickoffs unless noted (times subject to change):
Utiku Old Boys v Border, Memorial Park; Marton v Counties, Marton Park; Kaierau v Pirates, Kaierau Country Club; Challenge Shield – Hunterville v Taihape, Hunterville Domain. Bye: Celtic
