Highlanders (rugby union) Highlanders (rugby union) The Highlanders (formerly the Otago Highlanders and currently known as the Pulse Energy Highlanders for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in Super Rugby. The team was formed in 1996 to represent the lower South Island in the newly formed Super 12 competition, and includes the Otago, North Otago and Southland unions. The Highlanders take their name from the Scottish immigrants that helped found the Otago, North Otago, and Southland regions in the 1840s and 1850s. Their main ground through the 2011 Super Rugby season was Carisbrook in
Forsyth Barr Stadium the land was $32.5 million, significantly above the original budget of $20 million, but the trust expected to make some money back from the sale of surplus land and materials from the demolition. Forsyth Barr Stadium replaced Carisbrook as the home stadium of the Highlanders team in Super Rugby in late 2011, with the stadium in use from the beginning of the 2012 Super Rugby season. The first Super Rugby match played at the stadium, on 3 March 2012, resulted in a narrow win for the Highlanders over local derby rivals the Crusaders. The stadium also became the new home