The annual Tauranga Trail Run will again up be held at TECT Park on Sunday, November 25. Last year more than 500 people were involved and a bigger and better event is expected this year with 750 people involved.
A new 10km event has been added, while keeping the 5km, 15km and 30km distances, and the times have been juggled around so parents can have a solid run in the morning, and still do the 5km with their kids in the afternoon. Parents can do the 5km for free alongside their children.
Prices are still the same - $7 for 5km, $15 for 10km, $25 for 15km and $35 for 30km - and cheaper still for students and if entries are in before Labour Weekend.
The organisers are still doing their bit for the environment too, with a native tree planted on course for every entrant. The grove of 500 trees from last year is starting to flourish.
This community event is aimed at all the family and is a really affordable day out. There will be live music and stalls, fire engine rides for the kids and free shoe cleaning after each event.
Rugby: Young guns
The Western Bay of Plenty Under-45kg team have made it through to the finals of the prestigious Waikato Goldfields Tournament to be held in Te Aroha this Sunday against Hamilton Black and Te Awamutu.
It has been a few years since the WBOP have won the tournament and hopes are high it will be this year.
The team is made up of mostly 12-year-olds, who have participated in Tai Mitchell, Ellis Shield and AIMS Games, Sevens and club rugby. The boys worked really hard to be selected for the team, some losing weight for the weigh-in held last Saturday.
The three games played so far have all been won easily. King Country were beaten 64-0, Hamilton Gold 17-0, and Thames Valley 41-5.
The team is coached by Bill Kite-Coach, sports director of Aquinas College, and assistant coach Sam Pomare, with manager Darren Harvey.
Under-45kg team: Dylan Weir, Mt Maunganui, Bede Harvey,Greerton, Jack Lock, Tga Sports, Sam Allen-Gordon, Tga Sports, Mikaere Bennett, Eastern Districts, Sam Fitzpatrick, Greerton, Hamish McCall, Tga Sports, Kata Brill, Tga Sports, Ben Pomare, Tga Sports, Taine Craig-Ranga, Te Puna, Logan Karauria, Tga Sports, Raemon Teki, Te Puke Sports, Taylor Kite, Te Puna, Josh Calvert, Mt Maunganui, Aidan Smith, Papamoa, Peyton Sissons, Tga Sports, Jake Dunphy, Tga Sports, Eli Matthewman, Greerton, Louis Grinrod, Mt Maunganui, Jordan Kapia, Mt Maunganui, Josh Kingsbury, Tga Sports, Michael McMahon, Tga Sports, Devalin Edmonds, Te Puna, Sam Jensen, Greerton.
Sub-union Rugby: Close finish
Western Bay of Plenty used their get out of jail card to overcome Eastern Bay of Plenty in the playoff for third place in the Stan Meads Cup, played in Whakatane last Saturday. Along with the Stan Meads playoff, there was Bay of Plenty sub-union pride on the line, with the game doubling as the last Te Hurinui Apanui challenge of the season.
Eastern Bay shot out to a 17-0 lead in the first half. While the Western Bay side settled down to put some points on the board, the home side went further ahead to build a useful 26-10 lead into the halftime break.
Western Bay played catch-up rugby in the second spell, but dug deep to work their way back into the encounter. However, with time up on the clock and trailing by two points, Western Bay kicker Darrell Houia calmly stepped up and kicked a great goal from out wide, to give his team a dramatic come-from-behind victory by 34-33.
Stan Meads Cup Finals Day Results:
Stan Meads Cup: Te Awamutu 26 Piako 16 (after 20 minutes extra time)
Stan Meads Bowl: Hamilton 33 King Country B 31 (after 20 minutes extra time)
Stan Meads Cup Third Place: Western BOP 34 Eastern BOP 33
BOP Rep Rugby: Busy programme
The Bay of Plenty Under-20 and Under-16 A teams will be in action on Saturday, with the Bay Development side playing in the Waikato Stadium curtain raiser the following day.
While the Bay Under-16 A team will take an unbeaten record into their clash with Waikato, team management said after they beat their Bay B counterparts last weekend that they will have to lift their game several levels against archrivals Waikato tomorrow.
The near neighbours always provide Bay of Plenty age group teams with their biggest challenges of the season, with the game taking place at St Paul's Collegiate, Hamilton.
The Bay Under-16 A team has grabbed three solid wins and has posted 90 points with just 27 points conceded. Head coach Brendan Webby will have left his charges under no illusions of the required lift in performance to beat their traditional rivals.
While the Bay Under-16 B team will sit on the sideline this weekend, they will play on the big stage next Tuesday when they play Thames Valley in the curtain raiser to the Steamers game with Wellington at Baypark.
Bay of Plenty Development side meet their Waikato counter parts on Sunday. Last week the Bay side went within a whisker of grabbing their first win of the season. Facing the cream of the Auckland age group in the Auckland Under-21 side, only a foot into touch metres from the line stopped the Bay side from grabbing the victory, before going down 13-9.
New Steamers recruit Maru Henry shows that Development players can be just a step away from Steamers selection.
A home game at the Gordon Spratt Reserve awaits the Bay of Plenty Under-20 side, that has found out about reality of life in the Northern Region competition's fast lane. The experience will provide valuable grounding for many of the players, who will go on to play for other Bay teams in the future.
Also in action tomorrow are the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schoolgirls, who will contest the Northern Region final in Auckland. After posting two straight victories to win the Chiefs franchise side of the draw,they meet Auckland in the title decider away at the Marist ground in Mt Wellington.
BOPRU Representative Northern Region Draws:
22 September
BOP Under 20 v Counties Manukau @ Gordon Spratt Reserve - kickoff 2pm
BOP Under 16 A v Waikato @ St Paul's Collegiate, Hamilton - kickoff 1pm
September 23
BOP Development v Waikato @ Waikato Stadium - kickoff 12.15pm
September 25
BOP Under 16 B v Thames Valley @ Baypark Mount Maunganui - kickoff 5.15pm
Golf: Tournament time
The quadrangular season is upon us and time for those aspiring to make the Toro Interprovincial Team to show the selectors what they have got.
At this early stage no one has been more impressive than Rotorua's Victor Janin. Originally from New Caledonia, Victor has often been in the shadow of their number one golfer, Landyn Edwards, but at his first quad at the Narrows he secured three good wins and backed this up at St Andrew's, where he was again undefeated.
Another golfer to feature prominently has been Chris Charlton from the Otumoetai club. Prior to the New Zealand Age-Groups at Waipu, the Charlton name was more common in hockey circles. However, Chris has made the switch and fought all the way, before missing out by one to Tyler Hodge and finishing runner up in the Age Group Championships.
Omokoroa's Tyler King also featured in the medals at Waipu, as runner-up in the Under-15 division and Shaun Campbell from Omanu led the way in the Under-13 boys.
The young ones have been in the lime light with over 60 taking part in the recent NZCT AIMS Games for year 7-8 students. The golf medallists were:
Boys' Individual Gross: 1 Ryoga Mimura, Chisnallwood, 2 Harry Hillier, Te Puke, 3 Shaun Campbell, Aquinas.
Girls' Gross: 1 Amelia Garvey, Heaton, 2 Zoe Huang, Fairfield, 3 Ela Grimwood, Pinehaven.
Team Stableford: 1 Matamata, 2 Mt.Maunganui, 3 Tauranga.