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

With the arrival of cooler morning temperatures, the cricket season is quickly fading away to be replaced with the current Western Bay of Plenty club rugby season.

In the opening games of the new rugby year, expectations are high as players, coaching support and referees bask in weather that can only be described as an Indian summer.

However, waiting on the sideline is inclement weather and cold temperatures coupled with a season injuries that makes winter rugby a grind to the end of the season.

Last Saturday, Sideline Sid enjoyed one of the best Baywide premier contests that he has seen in many a long day.

Maramatanga Park at Te Puna was the venue of a cracking game of rugby union between the Te Puna premiers and Rotorua visitors Whakarewarewa.

There has always been real rivalry between rugby sides from the two Bay of Plenty cities, which date back decades.

With Western Bay of Plenty having seven teams in the 2016 premier title race, against two from the Sulphur City, the balance of power would seem to have shifted across the great divide.

However, Whakarewarewa Rugby Club have a history that dates back to the early days of club rugby in the Bay and are always a benchmark to get past, if clubs wish to become genuine championship contenders each season.

A war of attrition would best describe the battle that took place after kickoff at Maramatanga Park on the weekend.

The first half was an arm wrestle, with just a solitary penalty goal from Te Puna kicker Te Aihi Toma breaking the deadlock.

Much of the game was played between the two 25 metre lines which reflected the solid defence from both teams.

Halfway through the second spell, the home side broke through the Whaka defence with Marty Stevenson finishing off the attack with a touchdown.

The resulting successful conversion gave Te Puna a 10 nil lead.

However, the Rotorua visitors rallied their troops and roared back into action, to put real pressure on the Te Puna defence.

A series of attacks on the line resulted in Whakarewarewa crossing for a try, which was duly converted from out wide.

With the clock kicking down and three points in arrears, the Whaka kicker slotted a long range penalty goal to even up the contest at 10 points apiece.

Right on fulltime another Te Puna indiscretion gave the visitors a chance to take home a victory, however, the kick from the other side of the half way line sailed just under the crossbar - with honours shared with a 10 all draw.

The game was a classic Bay of Plenty inter-city battle, where plenty of attacking running rugby and superb defence, resulted in a superb advertisement for the game.

Elsewhere in our beautiful region, a former Tauranga Rugby Union trophy changed hands for the second time in two games.

The Western Bay Premier challenge prize of the Jordan Cup has been in three different clubhouse trophy cabinets since the start of the current season just two weeks ago.

First up, 2015 winners Te Puke Sports lost the long-time Tauranga rugby silverware to Rangataua in round one, before Mount Maunganui claimed the Jordan Cup on Saturday in defeating Rangataua 36-17.

The Jordan Cup is a magnificent large silver trophy that was first contested in the 1920's.

Brought back to competition as a Western Bay of Plenty Rugby Sub-Union challenge trophy, the old-time rugby prize is a direct link with the origins of the game in our region.