A MORE streamlined eight-team Whanganui Premier rugby draw and the introduction of quarterfinal playoffs for the 13-team Senior draw are the notable features for the start of club season 2016 in a fortnight's time.
After the disruptions of last year when a nine-team premier grade was changed to eight at the eleventh hour, plus the loss of Spriggens Park as the main rugby ground due to the flooding in June, this season will start later on April 2 and finish earlier on July 23 with club finals day at Cooks Gardens.
WRFU club liaison officer Paul Kenny was able to organise the draw for most of the first round where the eight clubs who have teams in both Premier and Senior will play at the same location so they can cover their numbers on the benches.
"It's very similar, so they can support each other.
"We have 14 [Premier] games at Spriggens Park, all with 14 curtain-raisers."
Among the key dates is the May 6-7 weekend where Border will play Marist in the annual Friday night game under lights in Waverley, before the start of duck shooting season. The June 4 Queens Birthday weekend as Kaierau celebrate their 125th Jubilee anniversary, also taking on Marist, is also notable.
There will be a gap weekend on May 21, separating the first and second round of games for Premier.
The Senior competition will be interesting as the split about halfway through the season for championship and consolation grades has been replaced by a Top 8 quarter-final round, meaning there will be three weekends of playoffs from July 9 to July 23.
Kenny said the WRFU had to make about 20 changes to the Senior draw, as Tech have opted to go into recess for the 2016 season, while retaining their union affiliation.
"We were looking at seven and seven [split], then six and seven, and then eight and five."
Part of the reason was some of the smaller clubs were a little concerned about playing their senior teams against the strength of Ngamatapouri, who have recruited heavily and have four members of the Steelform Wanganui Heartland team on the roster.
Defending senior champions Ruapehu will likely move some of their young players up to the Premier team, while beaten finalists and previous six-time champions Hunterville have seen some of their squad move up to Utiku Old Boys.
However, one-team club's Counties and Marton have strengthened their numbers.
"Marton could give Ngamatapouri a run for their money," said Kenny.
After the Top 8 are decided, the five eliminated teams will have some games to determine two sides to play for the Consolation title on finals day.
It will be the first Wanganui club rugby season without a Tech club team since their inception in 1923.
Looking at the Premier competition, last year's beaten finalists Border may be the best placed to push forward for the championship, with champions Pirates now faced with the tough task of trying to secure a three-peat.
After the turmoil caused by the loss of their Fijian imports to Ngamatapouri, Utiku Old Boys have gone out and found at least four players from the United Kingdom, who will play under new coach Matt Gilbert, replacing Gavin Thompson.
On the big occasion of their 125th year, Kaierau under new coach Dennis Edwards, replacing Keith Savell, have a good core group of players, many of whom have been blooded as youngsters in the past two seasons.
There are also likely to be changes on the coaching front at Ruapehu and Ratana, the former possibly seeing the veteran guard of players Andrew Evans and Peter Rowe taking up the reins from Chris Winter.
Taihape will be looking to go one game better than their semifinal efforts of the past two years.
The season ending earlier in July will allow the Wanganui representative team more buildup to get ready for their Ranfurly Shield challenge on August 6.
There is some preseason rugby around the grounds today, as Taihape premiers will host the visiting Hastings Sports at Memorial Park, Hunterville will host Marton in a seniors game and there will be a double header at Spriggens Park with premier and senior games between Kaierau and Marist.