The national sport dominates playing fields in Wanganui today with no fewer than three significant rugby matches scheduled.
The Steelform Wanganui Heartland representative squad's pre-season match-up with Wairarapa-Bush takes top billing with kick-off set for 4pm at Cooks Gardens.
The first game of the season will allow new coach Karl Hoskin and assistant Danny Rolls to try out combinations, with the 27-man squad named last week. However, since that squad was named, two reserves have been ruled out through niggling injuries.
Reserve halfback Josh Edwards (Marist) and reserve prop Lucas Puts (Marton) have scratched, reducing the squad to 25.
Three new caps are in the starting XV to defend the Bruce Steel Memorial Cup.
On debut will be 23-year-old Border halfback Lindsay Horrocks, the 20-year-old, 114kg Ruapehu goal-kicking centre Tautahi Rawiri, and Border winger Aaron Yadiga, 23, who was top try scorer in Wanganui premier rugby last season with 11 and sits on eight in 2013.
Eight of the table-topping Ruapehu team are in the starting line-up, led by the experienced Peter Rowe (82 games), the 2012 New Zealand Heartland captain and Player of the Year.
Despite injury to Fraser Hammond it will still be a steady scrum, with only Border's Sam Madams and Marist's Bradley Graham having less than a season's worth of representative games under their belts.
Ruapehu's 35-year-old prop Shaun McDonough (51 games) and Ratana's 31-year-old Vaan Rauhina (45 games) bring plenty of knowledge up front, while Ruapehu's Andrew Evans will be adding to his 41 matches.
The sole member of the backline to compare with the forward veterans is Kaierau's fullback Ace Malo with 47 games.
On the 12-man bench will be seven other newcomers, including additional Ruapehu muscle from hooker Karl Parker and 137kg prop Kim McNaught.
Getting a chance to debut at age 32, Parker could be living proof that front rowers peak later down the line.
The 2m tall Ruapehu lock Sonny Woodmass, Marton mid-fielder Taukiri Manawatu, Border winger Sailosi Naqiso and Ruapehu fullback Zyon Hekenui are today's other new faces.
All 25 players are expected to get game time, with both teams using the match as a trial.
The match will not be billed as a first-class fixture because the unions are fielding more than the allowable 22 players.
Meanwhile, injuries and work commitments have apparently decimated the Wairarapa-Bush squad for the clash.
Forwards Nathan Iro and Campbell Lawrence and backs Inia Katia, Tapaga Isaac, Nathan Hunt, Teihana Brown and Nick Olson are all likely to miss the game.
"It's not unusual to have two or three players on the doubtful list but seven ... I haven't struck that many before," Wairarapa-Bush head coach Mark Rutene told the Wairarapa Times-Age.
"I guess it's one of those times when everything has happened at once, there's not a lot we can do about it."
Rutene is still optimistic, however, that Wairarapa-Bush will give a strong account of themselves in what is a repeat of last year's Meads Cup semifinal, won by Wanganui.
"Obviously, it would have been nice to have everybody on deck but, even so, we'll be fielding a team which is capable of doing well. We're still happy with what we've got," Rutene said.
Rutene and assistant coach Paddy Gough won't finalise their starting line-up until the 11th hour but it seems certain a couple of Wellington "imports", Finbarr Kerr-Newall and Damian Smith, will be at prop. Kerr-Newall, from the Old Boys University club, was one of the stars in the win over United States Collegiate a few weeks back and a Heartland spot seems his for the taking, while Smith, a "big unit" from the Wests club, will wear the Wairarapa-Bush jersey for the first time.
Earlier in the day, the Wanganui High School and Collegiate 1st XVs tackle out-of-town teams in inter-school home fixtures.
WHS take on Hutt Valley High on home turf with kick-off at 11.30am, while Collegiate host Hawera High School on the main Grey St paddock at 11.50am.
Wanganui team
(Appearances in brackets): Ace Malo (47), Aaron Yadiga (0), Tautahi Rawiri (0), Robert Hughes (10), Pehira Huwyler (9), Areta Lama (13), Lindsay Horrocks (0), Jason Hughes (12), Peter Rowe (82, captain), Sam Madams (2), Andrew Evans (41), Bradley Graham (3), Vaan Rauhina (45), Roman Tutauha (11), Shaun McDonough (51). Reserve backs: Sean Brown (22), Tom Wells (1), Tremaine Gilbert (14), Taukiri Manawatu (0), Sailosi Naqiso (0), Zion Hekenui (0). Forwards: Karl Parker (0), Kim McNaught (0), Nick Cranston (20), Sonny Woodmass (0). Not available (injured): Fraser Hammond (49).