Bay of Plenty Steamers captain Kurt Eklund scores a try against Waikato in the ninth round robin of the Bunnings NPC series. Photo / Rosalie Liddle Crawford.
The Bay of Plenty Steamers powered to an impressive 41–5 victory over Waikato’s Mooloos in the ninth round of the Bunnings NPC, delighting a home crowd at Tauranga Domain on Sunday.
Fans supporting both sides in the Battle of the Kaimai clash filled the stands in a show of provincial rivalry, enjoying the warm northwesterly breeze and atmosphere.
By halftime, the Steamers had surged to a commanding 29–0 lead, showcasing pace and precision.
The win means they hold on to the Nathan Strongman Memorial Trophy and the Chief’s Cup.
“It’s pretty damn satisfying. That’s the third year in a row now that we’ve got that Chief’s Cup,” Bay of Plenty Steamers head coach Richard Watt said.
“We’ve had our ninth defence of it in three years against Taranaki, Counties and Waikato.”
The Chief’s Cup is the challenge cup for the four Chiefs provinces. A team must win it three times to hold it for the year, and to do that, Bay of Plenty beat Counties Manukau, Waikato and Taranaki.
They also won it in 2023 and 2024.
“It’s also the third year in a row we’ve won the Nathan Strongman Memorial Trophy against Waikato,” Watt said.
“That’s three years of dominance over those three sides, so I’m pretty pleased about it.”
In 2024, the Bay of Plenty Steamers stocked their trophy cabinet with the Chief’s Cup, the Macrae Shelford Bay Cup (against Hawke’s Bay), the Peter Burke Trophy (against Taranaki), the Mark Weedon Trophy (against North Harbour), and the Nathan Strongman Memorial Trophy (against Waikato).
This year, Hawke’s Bay seized back the Macrae Shelford Bay Cup in a close Battle of the Bays, beating the Steamers 24-21.
Commenting on Sunday’s game against Waikato, Watt said he was pleased that the team was doing what they were trained to do.
“Sometimes it [the training] doesn’t quite transfer. But we looked after the ball, we kept calm under pressure, we were really disciplined on defence, and the best thing for me, is that they [Waikato] only scored five points.”
Despite having a try disallowed, Watt said his team stayed focused, and “kept on at it”.
“It didn’t have any effect on the end anyway,” Watt said.
“To keep them [Waikato]within five points, I think we can be really proud of that,” Bay of Plenty Steamers captain Kurt Eklund said.
“It’s nice to be back in the domain and to put a performance out that we can be proud of.”
“It was really fun,” Steamers lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi said on a Bay of Plenty Rugby Union Facebook video while signing autographs for young fans.
“It was a good game. Summer’s out, it’s the real Bay weather.”
Sunday’s win against Waikato places Bay of Plenty in fourth place on the 2025 NPC table, on 31 points, with Hawke’s Bay one point behind in fifth.
Next weekend’s final round robin games in the series for Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay will determine which teams finish in the top four.
The Steamers will be playing Wellington Lions at Porirua Park on October 4.
Wellington are in 10th place on the NPC ladder, and Bay of Plenty last played them in the 2024 finals in a gripping battle that extended into the 100th minute. Wellington came away with the win.
Watt values the support and encouragement a home crowd brings to the team.
“It will be quite important for us to get a home quarterfinal,” he said.
“I think Wellington might be desperate to beat us so that they can try to get into the top eight.”
Bay of Plenty has now had six wins and three losses and is in a strong position for a top-four finish to the series.
“We can control our own destiny now, so if we win [against Wellington] and get in the top four, we get a home quarter,” Watt said.