Southern Districts played their first match in 1969, against a touring
England side, with the match ending in a draw. Southern Districts did not play another match until the 1983–84 season, when they joined the
Hansells Cup, which at the time was a
2-day competition. The team was made up of players from
Otago, who stopped competing after the 1982–83 season, and players who missed out on the
Canterbury side. They won their first match the following season, 1984–85, beating
Auckland, and achieved their best finish, ending the season in 4th place. Their victory over Auckland was the only win they would ever achieve, however, and they finished bottom of the league in the subsequent three season. After this, ahead of the 1988–99 season, the tournament reverted to 5 teams competing, and Southern Districts were disbanded. Otago rejoined the league in 1998–99. ==Players==