Two of Southland’s more promising rugby prospects have linked with the Otago Rugby Football Union academy. Loose forwards Sean Withy and Jacob Harrex will both head to Dunedin next year where they will play for the Otago University Rugby Club while studying at the University of Otago. St Peter’s College flanker Fraser Ditchfield is another who would have been lined up for Rugby Southland’s academy programme next year, but he has shifted to Auckland to study. Hall said he was working through the makeup of Rugby Southland’s academy programme and hoped to have it sorted in the next month. Traditionally Rugby Southland tries to retain its best young talent through the academy, but it also scouts young players from elsewhere in the country.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 04, 2018 15:22 UTC