Bay of Plenty clubs' stranglehold on the Mount Maunganui Sports Club sevens tournament has come to an end at the hands of a hot-running North Harbour Marist side at Blake Park.
The visitors, a class act all day under overcast skies, spotted Rangiuru a 15-0 lead in the final before reeling them in courtesy of a host of flyers taking turns scorching Sir Gordon Tietjens Field.
The final score of 33-15 was a fair reflection, but tells only part of the story of an engrossing contest.
Three quick unanswered tries in the opening half saw Rangiuru in control, but still vulnerable due to their inability to land tricky conversions.
The defining moment of the match came just before halftime when standout Elijah Nicolas injured an ankle attempting to secure the ball deep in opposition territory.