The improvement in the Steamers this season has been replicated by other Bay of Plenty rep teams from the under-13 Roller Mills through to under-19 men, and the under-18 and Volcanix women's teams.
The Volcanix have had an unsurpassed season and host Otago in the Farah Palmer Cup Championship final at Blake Park from 12pm tomorrow.
The challenge for all the age group coaches and administrators in the Bay is to maintain this year's consistency.
That is never an easy task but Canterbury rugby is the blueprint for success. Their consistency over the years has been built from the grassroots level up.
It may surprise that Bay of Plenty is now the third largest rugby union in New Zealand in terms of playing numbers behind Auckland and Canterbury, with Wellington in fourth place.
With the game booming in the region, the need for a quality home stadium based in the Western Bay has never been greater and this is being looked into by various stakeholders.
It is heartening to see Bay of Plenty rugby is clearly on the right path, no matter what happens in Wellington tonight.