The Wellington Rugby Football Union formally expresses their condolences at the loss of former Wellington Lions representative, Morne van der Merwe, who passed away in Cape Town last week.

The 2013 ITM Cup will be played over an extended competition window of nine weeks with a reduction in mid-week fixtures.

Regional derby-matches have dominated the picks made by Provincial Unions today in their selection of opposition for crossover matches in the 2013 ITM Cup.