Rugby: Rotorua happy hunting ground for local teams

Tauranga Sports Development team broke through the 300 points mark from just five games this season after they demolished Whakarewarewa 105-0 on Saturday at Purenga Park in Rotorua.

Mount Maunganui Development also returned home from the Rotorua region with maximum points after they beat Rotoiti 56-0 at Emery Park.

Both Mount Maunganui and Tauranga Sports Development teams have their eyes firmly fixed on May 21 when they square off at Blake Park.

Te Puke Sports Development team won a hard-fought battle to continue their unbeaten run in the curtain-raiser at Maramatanga Park on Friday evening.

A penalty apiece was the sole scoring in the first half and the two sides were locked at 6-all entering the last quarter.

Te Puke broke away to score the first try of the match, with their second try coming with the clock ticking down to give them an 18-6 win.

Te Puke are a single point away from joint leaders Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui in the title race.

Rangataua came from the bottom of the Development standings to grab their first win of the season beating Opotiki 32-12 at Te Ariki Park.

Arataki moved into fifth equal place on the standings defeating Paroa 41-14 at Grenada Park.

The Marist derby between Greerton and Whakatane went down to the wire, before the Eastern Bay visitors won 23-17.

The Baywide Division One results saw all four Western Bay of Plenty teams taste defeat with two games absolute thrillers.

Rangiuru suffered their first defeat of the season, losing a real battle with Te Teko 23-21 in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

However Rangiuru sit just a solitary point behind Poroporo and are well on track to play in the Baywide Premier Two competition, which kicks off in June.

Judea had a heart-breaking solitary point loss by 18-17 at home to Waikite at Maharaia Winiata Park.

Papamoa lost 24-0 to Marist St Michael's in Rotorua with Ruatoki beating Katikati 43-10.

Western Bay of Plenty rugby results:

Division One: Ruatoki 43 Katikati 10, Te Teko 23 Rangiuru 21, Waikite 18 Judea 17, Marist St Michael's 24 Papamoa 0, Poroporo 50 Kahukura 20, Ngongotaha the bye.

Points Table (Provisional): Poroporo 19, Rangiuru 18, Ngongotaha 16, Te Teko 15, Judea 13, Waikite 12, Ruatoki 7, Marist St Michael's 6, Kahukura 5, Papamoa 5, Katikati 5.

Development: Whakatane Marist 23 Greerton Marist 17, Rangataua 32 Opotiki 12, Tauranga Sports 105 Whakarewarewa 0, Te Puke Sports 18 Te Puna 6, Mount Maunganui 56 Rotoiti 0, Arataki 41 Paroa 14.

Points Table (Provisional): Tauranga Sports 25, Mount Maunganui 25, Te Puke Sports 24, Whakatane Marist 21, Te Puna 16, Arataki 16, Opotiki 5, Whakarewarewa 5, Rotoiti 5, Greerton Marist 5, Rangataua 5, Paroa 3.