MID North Coast Rugby Union has added a North/South representative fixture to this year's calendar.
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The men's and women's games will be played at Coffs Harbour on Saturday, May 11. This will pit the Lower North Coast competition against the Mid North Coast.
Zone president Steve Rees said this will act as a pathway for selection in the MNC side for the Country Championships in June.
"There'll be a general bye in the Lower North Coast and Mid North Coast competitions on that day,'' he said.
"So every player will be available for selection unless they receive dispensation from the zone's chief executive. If a player is selected and withdraws without the dispensation, there will be an automatic two game suspension.''
Mr Rees remains confident the LNC will be competitive, despite the northern competition being numerically stronger. There are five teams in the southern men's and women's competitions, which is one-grade. The MNC competition takes in clubs from Port Macquarie to Grafton and has first and reserve grades as well as juniors.
"There would be at least half a dozen southern players in each team who would be capable of playing first grade in the Mid North Coast,'' Mr Rees said.
"With everyone available, I'm sure they'll come up with a competitive side.''
He said the women's match would be 15-a-side, even though both competitions play 10s.
"That will be a bit of an adjustment, but it will he the same for both sides,'' he added.
April 6 start
THE Lower North Coast Rugby Union competition will be underway from Saturday, April 6.
The season will run for three rounds, as has been the case in recent years.
At this stage there'll be five teams in the first grade men and five in the women's 10s.
"Old Bar's trying hard to get a women's team,'' Mid North Coast Zone president, Steve Rees said.
Last year the Clams and Gloucester were "married" on the draw as the Clams didn't field a women's team while Gloucester wasn't involved in the men's competition.
Mr Rees assured there won't be any problems should the Clams get a women's 10s team.
"It'll just mean the women will play when there's a bye in the men,'' he said. Gloucester won the women's premiership last year.
