The curtain comes down on the Seeka KI Western BOP rugby competitions tomorrow, when the Western Bay Championship and the second division title are fought out at Maharaia Winiata and Maramatanga Parks.
Judea and Arataki will go to battle at Judea's headquarters for the Combined Cup, which is the prize awarded to the winner of the WBOPRFS Championship. Last weekend's encounter between the two teams has set up battle royal for championship honours this week.
In the last round of the Merv Scholes Cup last Saturday, there was plenty riding on the result when the two sides squared off at Grenada Park. Arataki took an 11-5 lead into the halftime break but in the second spell Judea ran in two tries to take out a thriller 18-14. The Judea victory gave them a home venue for the Combined Cup final, along with the Merv Scholes trophy and the Western Bay challenge prize of the Hardy Rosebowl.
The two clubs come from different spectrums of Western Bay rugby.
Judea have a long and proud history that dates back over 100 years, while Arataki came in to existence in the early 1970s accompanying the population explosion on the Mount Maunganui peninsula.
Judea have their sights set on completing a trifecta of Western Bay silverware this season with victory on Saturday, adding the Combined Cup to the Merv Scholes Cup and Hardy Rosebowl in the Judea trophy cabinet.
Arataki, who won the Baywide Division One title in the last decade, have a return to Baywide rugby next season firmly on their agenda, with victory against Judea a major step on their mission.
In the second tier Western Bay competition, Te Puna and Greerton Marist's second teams will be chasing victory in the final of the Phelan Cup. The first time that the two sides met in the round robin play Te Puna triumphed 34-12. Te Puna enters the final with an unbeaten Phelan Cup record, with loss to Te Puna the only stain on the Greerton Marist record.
Te Puna Premiers have completed their games against fellow Western Bay Baywide teams and will take the Jordan Cup into the summer break. Tauranga Sports Colts finished the regular season with the Oliver Cup, while Judea snatched the Hardy Rosebowl from Arataki in last weekend's dramatic showdown.
Seeka KI Western BOP Championship Finals, July 13
Combined Cup: Judea v Arataki, Maharaia Winiata Park, 2.45pm; Phelan Cup: Te Puna v Greerton Marist, Maramatanga Park, 1pm.
WBOPRFS Challenge Trophy Holders
Premier: (Jordan Cup) Te Puna.
Colts: (Oliver Cup) Tauranga Sports.
Seeka KI Western BOP: (Hardy Rosebowl) Judea.