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Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz |
Western Bay of Plenty rugby teams sit in contention in all six grades of the Baywide rugby championships, which conclude with six Grand Finals on the first Saturday in August.
While there have been a number of changes in the Baywide formats in the last decade, this season new format has provided close contests, pulsating action to the final whistle and a number of upset results.
One of the measures of success in sporting competition, is the number of spectators that turn out to follow their favourites week after week. No other Western Bay of Plenty sport attracts the crowd numbers that are on the sideline rain, hail or sunshine during the rugby season.
Last weekend Sideline Sid was at Te Ariki Park, to watch the continued revival of the Rangataua premier team. The park was packed to the gunnels with home fans, with cars lining the ground and parked out to the Maungatapu main road.
The Maungatapu peninsula team have been the big improver from the first half of the season and currently sit in second on the premier standings. On Saturday they put Whakatane Marist to the sword, running in five tries on the way to a 34-5 victory.
The return of half-back Ruki Tipuna from overseas has coincided with the sterling form of his team, in the Baywide Championship qualifying rounds. Rangataua captain Matt Clutterbuck is an inspirational leader who never shirks a challenge, with his team poised to host a Baywide semi-final, no matter what the result is against Greerton Marist next weekend.
Mount Maunganui have led the Premier Championship rounds from the start and are entitled to wear the favourites tag, entering the playoffs in two weeks time. Mount skipper Chris Elvin has had a long and distinguished career with the Green and Gold brigade, with a Baywide premier title becoming a fitting tribute to the player who wears his sides number 6 jersey with real pride.
While Mount Maunganui and Rangataua have booked post section berths, four teams will fight for the last two semi-final spots on Saturday. Tauranga and Te Puke Sports along with Rotoiti are locked together on 16 points with Te Puna lurking two points in arrears.
Arataki who are the Western Bay's sole representative in the Premier Two title-race are well placed in third position and have banked enough points to play in the post section playoffs, no matter how they fare against Poroporo in round seven.
The one certainty in the 2016 Baywide competitions, is that a Western Bay of Plenty team will win the Development One title. Te Puna who have won ten games on the trot, along with defending titleholders Te Puke Sports, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Sports are clear of the other chasers and will battle out the Baywide title.
Judea, Rangiuru and Papamoa appear to hold a stranglehold on the Division One Championship sitting in the top three spots. Judea, who were running around in local senior reserve competition two seasons ago, have posted a unbeaten run in the Div One title race.
Eastern Districts who play on the Western Bay extremities at the Paengaroa Domain, are well situated to make the Division Two semi-finals, with the Arataki second team also in contention in the Development Two competition.
The next three Saturdays will feature cut-throat rugby competition which will result in six new Baywide Rugby Champions being crowned on Saturday 6th August.
Seeya at the Baywide Playoffs