The bulk of the All Blacks squad named yesterday will assemble with their Mitre 10 Cup provinces this week and be available to play in the opening round of the competition, which kicks off on Friday night.
Southland appeared to turn the corner in 2019 when they won their first match in three years and are poised to go to another level under the leadership of new coach Dale MacLeod and captain Tony Lamborn in 2020.
Counties Manukau sparked their Farah Palmer Cup campaign with a record-breaking 89-3 swamping of North Harbour in their opening game in Pukekohe on Saturday.
After a slight delay with the latest Covid-19 lockdown, the Farah Palmer Cup is finally getting underway this weekend, with Waikato and Northland set to kick things off in Hamilton on Saturday.
Ranfurly Shield holders and perennial Mitre 10 Cup powerhouse Canterbury will be not only looking to hold onto the ‘log of wood’ in 2020 but also lift their first Premiership title since 2017.
Coming off the back of a highly entertaining but ultimately disappointing 2019 campaign, Northland will be desperate to bounce back and push their claims as a genuine title contender in the Championship for 2020.
Boosted by the signing of former All Blacks captain Kieran Read, Counties Manukau will be looking for a quick ascent back to the Premiership after being relegated in 2019.
In what is a remarkable feat, former Black Ferns halfback Emma Jensen will play her 18th season of national provincial rugby, when she laces up the boots for the Hawke’s Bay Tui in the 2020 Farah Palmer Cup.