A totally unique Kiwi animal is again alive and well in the country – 'the fair weather fan”.

With the All Blacks and Warriors tasting defeat at the weekend, the airwaves of talk- back radio will be flooded with the bleating of the 'fair weather fan'. While quick to get on the bandwagon when teams are winning, the 'fair weather fan” first response to defeat is to put the boot in, with cries of how useless the players and coaches are.

In the next few months, Western Bay sports followers will have the opportunity to show that they are ‘true fans', each time the Bay of Plenty Steamers run out onto the paddock in the Air New Zealand Cup.

Be warned - it will be a long campaign, with plenty of battles and some disappointments on the way. To gauge the length of the season, the current depths of winter will have changed to the barmy days of spring, when they Steamers play their last game against Taranaki on the 25th of October.

The crusade opens this Friday, 31 July, when the Steamers take on Northland at the Rotorua International Stadium, with the match kicking off at 7.30pm.

On the local scene, post section rugby has arrived in the six Bartercard Baywide championships. This Saturday (1 August 2009) afternoon, there is a number of what should be pulsating and action packed semi-finals, played in the Western Bay.

Bay rugby history will be made, when Matakana Island hosts a Baywide Division Three semi-final against Waimana. The team from the Island who were content to play in Western Bay Reserve Grade, made the jump up to Baywide rugby last season.

In what is likely to be one of the biggest events to hit the Island in years – Waimana are in for a real treat when they leave the mainland on the barge to the Island. The Matakana hospitality is legendary, with the after match feast likely to have belt buckles bulging.

Just up the harbour at Moore Park, Katikati will host the second Div Three semi-final, when Edgecumbe come to call. Large crowds are predicted to be on hand for both games, with an all Western Bay Division Three Final if the two local sides can emerge victorious on the weekend.

The replay of last year's Baywide Premier Final will be fought out at the Tauranga Domain, with Tauranga Sports facing the might of Rangataua. In last years final stanza Tauranga Sports won a titanic battle taking out the contest 13-8

Maramatanga Park will host another Baywide playoff, with Te Puna earning the right to play post section rugby with last weekend's victory over Reporoa – and will face Rotorua visitors Kahukura, in a Division One playoff.

In Colts rugby, Te Puke Sports will play the winner of a catch-up match between Rotoiti and Te Puna, to be played during the week. In the Baywide Senior Reserve playoff's, Mount Maunganui will fly the Western Bay flag – hosting Opotiki at Blake Park.

To all Western Bay rugby followers and supporters - catching a game this weekend is likely to be an enjoyable experience, with all the Baywide draws on the Sun Live Sports Draws page.