Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

From time to time we read and hear about professional rugby bringing about the demise of the grassroots game – however in the past couple of seasons, there has been a real resurgence in the numbers watching club rugby in the Western Bay of Plenty.

The only complaints, to be heard at the three games apiece at the Tauranga Domain and Greerton Park on Saturday, were the lack of nearby parking.

While both parks' main attractions featured significant Baywide Premier clashes, the two undercards matches at both venues also attracted plenty of spectators, which made for a long walk for the latecomers.

After plenty of consultation, the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union put in place a two tier Baywide senior format with automatic promotion/relegation, a couple of seasons ago. Both the Premier and Division One are 10 team competitions played over two full rounds with semi-finals and a Grand Final on Super Saturday.

The addition of promotion/relegation, where the last side in the two title races is automatically relegated, puts plenty of pressure on the teams near the bottom of the standings right throughout the season.

The likelihood of promotion is the carrot for Div One sides that have aspirations of playing in the top echelon the following season - with the winner of a Baywide local rugby series culminating on Super Saturday, booking a berth in Div One the following season.

Backed by a strong Colts competition, Baywide senior club rugby has gone through a real renaissance since the cut throat format was introduced. There were plenty of squeals from clubs that were removed from Baywide competition, with the reduction to 20 teams from 24 – however the introduction of two comps, where there is nearly as much intensity amongst the cellar dwellers as at the top, have brought the crowds back to watch club rugby in the Western Bay.

The scheduling of three homes games with the Colts and B's preceding their premier counterparts, such as at the Domain and Greerton Park last weekend, has seen large crowds on the sideline and full clubhouses after the match.

In the Premier title race, Tauranga Sports laid down the challenge to the other nine sides with championship hopes, when they squared off against defending Baywide Premier titleholders Te Puke Sports last weekend. Both sides took unbeaten season records on to the Tauranga Domain, however it was Tauranga Sports, which emerged with the bragging rights after cutting loose in the second spell, to win 39-15.

The big mover this year is Greerton Marist who earned premier promotion two years ago.

While involved in the battle to avoid relegation last season, they have strung together four wins on the trot to sit in third place on the standings this year.

The win over Rotorua heavyweight Rotoiti, made local rugby watchers sit up and take notice, with last weekend's victory against Mount Maunganui another indication that they are right in the title race.

In spite of sitting at the bottom of the premier point's ladder, Rangataua still attracted a crowd of several hundred to Te Ariki Park to watch the home side's losing battle with Whakarewarewa.

Star local attraction on the first Saturday in May, is the Tauranga Sports visit to Maramanataga Park to play Te Puna, where all three teams from the two clubs will meet in head to head action.

Seeya at the Game