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

While the holiday trip to the United States is now a memory – Sideline Sid's attention quickly turned to rugby with a Stan Meads Cup taking centre stage in Katikati last weekend.

In our last few days on holiday in Hawaii, I was hanging out to taste the rugby action last Saturday, when the Western Bay senior representative team squared off against Hamilton in round three of the Stan Meads Cup. Originally scheduled for the Tauranga Domain the game was moved to Moore Park in Katikati.

Second tier representative rugby always struggles, with the Bay Union (rightly) having first pick on the myriad of talented players that emerge from the Western Bay region each season. Rosebowl and traditional post season club fixtures also take a large pool of potential Western Bay reps away from the selector's eye.

However, last weekend Katikati players answered the call to Stan Meads Cup duty and with the majority of the team coming from the town on the Western Bay extremities, the game was moved to the outskirts of our local region.

The Stan Meads Cup is contested in August and September each year, between Waikato and Bay of Plenty Sub-Union representative teams and Thames Valley and King Country B sides. The Mid North Island regional competition is named after one of the countries highly decorated All Black forwards.

In order to ensure that the time honoured Peace Cup didn't become another lost symbol of former rugby glory, the Cup was taken into the Stan Meads competition as a challenge trophy in 2011.

Since the challenge prize became part of the SMC competition, the Te Awamutu Sub-Union representatives have reigned supreme. The current SMC champions have posted an unbeaten record in 2013 and will put the trophy that dates back to 1921, on the line for the last time this year against Piako on the weekend.

Last Saturday's winner take all encounter against the Waikato Sub-Union side, with a berth in the Cup post section play at stake, kicked off on a beautiful Western Bay afternoon.

Just 10 minutes into the encounter the Waikato team scored their first try, after some poor tackling from the Western Bay defence. The successful conversion gave the visitors an early 7-nil lead. A successful Hamilton penalty attempt right on the half time whistle saw the Waikato side take a 10 point advantage into the break.

Western Bay took it to their opponents in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, however they couldn't break the Hamilton defences.

With 15 minutes remaining in the match the visitors broke away to run and toe the ball through some seventy meters, to touch the ball down for their second try of the match.

With time up on the clock and Western Bay on attack, a Hamilton player intercepted the ball and waltzed away for his side's third try. The successful conversion gave the visitors a hard fought 22-nil win and a place in the Stan Meads Cup top four next weekend.

The Western Bay representatives will now enter the SMC Plate division and will play Thames Valley next Saturday, at Te Puna headquarters at Maramatanga Park.

The real benefit of the competition, is an additional pathway for players who have missed out on Union rep teams. While the Western Bay players don't receive a full kit of gear, they do receive a dress shirt and more importantly the opportunity to showcase their talents on a further stage. For the first time this season, a Stan Meads Cup XV will be selected after Finals day and will play a Colin Meads Invitation team in Te Kuiti in late September.

In keeping with the grassroots nature of the second tier representative competition, there is a laid back approach to the games. The sight of former All Black and Hamilton coach Mark Cooksey running touch during the first half symbolizes the Stan Meads Cup approach to rep rugby.

Seeya at the Game.