Bay of Plenty's rugby stars of the future will get their chance to shine when the secondary schools' championship kicks off tomorrow.
Six Central, four Western and two Eastern Bay of Plenty schools will battle it out for schoolboy supremacy at Paengaroa Domain. In what should be a colossal 1st XV division one final, John Paul College will take on Whakatane's Trident High School.
The Rotorua school had the hardest route to the final after finishing fourth in their division, playing sudden-death matches in their last two encounters against Opotiki College and top qualifiers Bethlehem College in last weekend's semifinals.
Trident have been in a rich vein of form this season, finishing second in the qualifying competition. They are battle-hardened after their 22-20 semifinal win over Otumoetai College. Whakatane will have the favourites' tag tomorrow. However, John Paul College have shown they are not a team to be taken lightly.
In the division two final, Reporoa College came from fourth spot in their division to book a spot in the final, via a tough 24-22 encounter against Katikati College. They will meet Western Bay school Aquinas College, who won their match against Taupo-nui-a-Tia College 15-11 last weekend in Taupo.
Division three's final is a Rotorua derby between Boys' High School under-15 and Lakes High School.
Despite moving up two divisions, the Liam Coleman-coached Boys' High squad have been unbeatable this season. The youngsters were impressive last week against Kawerau College 1st XV with a 57-7 win.
Their game is based on using speed around the field to wear down their (usually) bigger opponents. They have an impressive loose trio, with Dorso Porima-Horn, Tapara Taingahue and Renton Barrett, who like nothing more than to scavenge opposition ball and give their speedsters plenty of room to move.
However, Lakes High are no pushover, proving it last weekend when they dismantled Boys' High 3rd XV in easy fashion.
The 2nd XV division sees Tauranga Boys' College taking on Western Heights' High School. Tauranga squeezed past Mount Maunganui College 26-17, in a midweek encounter last week for the right to meet their Rotorua counterparts, who won a battle of attrition against Tauranga Boys' fourths, 10-7.
For the second year in a row, Trident High School and Mount Maunganui College will fight out the under-15 premiership. Last season the two rivals provided a thriller in the curtain-raiser to the Steamers ITM Cup game with Canterbury - with Trident taking out the match 24-17.
New entrant Te Wharekura O Mauao capped an outstanding first year of competition, when they made the under-14 final, after defeating Opotiki College 24-17 last weekend. The Western Bay School will play Rotorua Boys A, who cruised into the final with a 72-0 win over Western Heights.
Draw:
Bay of Plenty Polytechnic Secondary Schools Rugby finals at Paengaroa Domain:
First Fifteen Division One (2pm): Trident High School v John Paul College
First Fifteen Division Two (1.30pm): Reporoa College v Aquinas College
First Fifteen Division Three (12.15pm): Rotorua Boys High School U15 A v Rotorua Lakes High 1st XV.
Second Fifteen Division (10.30am): Tauranga Boys High School U15 A v Western Heights High School 2nd XV.
Under-15 Premiership (11.45am): Trident High School v Mount Maunganui College.
Under-14 Premiership (10am): Rotorua Boys High School A v Te Wharekura O Mauao.