Tauranga Boys' College's John Lees-Falkner tries to avoid a tackle from a Rotorua Boys' High School player at North Island Secondary Schools Sevens earlier this year. Photo / File
There will be at least one new winner when age group sevens players battle it out at the annual Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools Sevens competition.
The tournament gets under way at Gordon Spratt Reserve in Pāpāmoa tomorrow morning and while Tauranga Boys' College will be back defending their titles,
there is at least one accolade that will definitely up for grabs.
A new winner will be crowned in the Under 19 Girls' division with last year's winners Rotorua Girls' High School Under 19s not attending this year.
The school will, however, be represented in the under 15 grade, looking to reclaim their title again for 2018.
In the boys' grades, Tauranga Boys' College return to defend their title in the Under 19, Under 15 and Under 14 Boys' divisions following an impressive finals day last year.
The secondary school's tournament will begin two days of sevens in Pāpāmoa with Baywide Club Sevens on Saturday.
Nine Bay of Plenty Clubs will compete for the Open Men's Sir Gordon Tietjens Trophy, which will go to a new team as 2017 winners Tauranga Sports are unable to field a team because of injuries.
In the running for the women's Exia Edwards Trophy are eight teams including the newly formed sides Opotiki, Judea and Mount Maunganui Sports.
