WINNING SMILES: Tauranga Sports under-11 team and coaches celebrate winning the Champion of Champions title. PHOTO: Drops Photography
WINNING SMILES: Tauranga Sports under-11 team and coaches celebrate winning the Champion of Champions title. PHOTO: Drops Photography
For players of any age it is always a big challenge to return home with a victory from Te Teko in the heart of the Eastern Bay.
They love their footy in that far corner of Bay of Plenty's rugby territory and over the years have produced some outstanding teamsin the junior grades.
Along with the top teams from the Western Bay and Central Bay regions they get to prove they are the best Baywide team in their age groups at the Champion of Champions tournament day.
The hugely popular event was held at four locations last Saturday with under-8 and under-9 finals at Rotorua, under-10 and under-11 finals in Te Teko, under-12s at Arataki and under-13s at Papamoa.
The boys from Te Teko were unbeaten over four seasons and 72 games leading up to last Saturday's under-11 finals against Rotoiti and Tauranga Sports.
Tauranga Sports had a mighty challenge to make it as Western Bay champions. In the semifinals they had a close win over Rangataua Sports, who beat them to the Champion of Champions last year, and then beat Te Puna Blue by three points in the final.
Coached by Heath Paintin and Matt Black, they had plenty of support in Te Teko from a bus-load of family and club stalwarts. To win the coveted Champion of Champions title they needed to beat Eastern Bay champs Te Teko and Rotoiti from Central Bay.
First up were Te Teko with Tauranga winning a thriller 24-22 before they beat Rotoiti 29-10 to clinch the title.
Paintin said they started well against Te Teko and managed to just win it late in the game.
"We put three tries on them early and then Te Teko made a bit of a comeback. They didn't get ahead of us but did draw level with us and then we scored towards the end of the game to win it 24-22 at fulltime.
"We had a good game against Rotoiti and the weather managed to hold off. We had a big downpour in between the games but it stopped raining as we came out for our last game against Rotoiti which was pretty good."
Western Bay teams picked up two of the other titles with Papamoa Blue crowned under-12 champions and Rangataua taking out the under-13 title.
Champion of Champions results
Under-8: First equal - Whakarewarewa and Te Teko Under-9: Whakatane Marist Under-10: Te Teko Under-11: Tauranga Sports Under-12: Papamoa Blue Under-13: Rangataua Sports
