By Stu Piddington

The New Zealand Heartland XV will play its only game of the 2017 season in Timaru on November 5.

The best players in the Heartland Championship will face the New Zealand Marist XV, in their traditional annual fixture, at Alpine Energy Stadium.

The NZ Heartland XV will again be coached by South Canterbury's Barry Matthews with Buller's long serving coach Craig Scanlon named as his new assistant.

Matthews has also called in Timaru Boys' High School First XV coach Gavin Miller to be the team's trainer.

The Heartland XV is only playing one game as it has proved difficult to get meaning opposition within New Zealand.

Next year it is however likely the Heartland side will head to the United States, having played NZ Marist last year and they also completed a two match tour of Fiji.

It is the second time the Heartland XV has played in Timaru, with South Canterbury's Matt Fetu, Nathan Tubb and Fa'aitu Tuamoheloa, all part of the 2013 team that faced NZ Marist

Fetu could feature again, in either side, as he plays club rugby for Celtic who are part of the Marist Ferderation. 

South Canterbury Rugby Union chief executive Craig Calder said they were delighted that the New Zealand Rugby had given them the honour and opportunity to host the game at Alpine Energy Stadium.

"Holding this game in Timaru is a mark of respect to the South Canterbury Rugby community and the union's staff for all the commitment they make to successfully promote and run games of rugby year in, year out in this region.

"I am sure it will be a great honour for the New Zealand Heartland and current South Canterbury Heartland coach  Barry Matthews to prepare a team to play on his home turf.

"This will be a great occasion and we hope the rugby public support this historic game."

Timaru Celtic president Peter Cockburn said it was always a honour for the club to host a  New Zealand side and a first class game.

"Also we have been lucky in having local players or coaches representing both these sides."

Matthews said he would have liked another game but it had proven difficult to find decent opposition at that time of the year.

"We did not want to lower the standard of the jersey by playing weak opposition."

Matthews said it would not matter to players in the Heartland Championship there was only one game.

"They will still treasure playing in the black jersey."