Fans of club rugby in Bay of Plenty will be spoiled for choice during the Easter break, with the three PGG Wrightson Baywide competitions spread out over three days, although the bulk of games will still be played on Saturday.
A mouth-watering match-up will take place at Maramatanga Park in the Western Bay of Plenty when unbeaten Te Puna and Rotoiti clash.
Both sides have undergone a renaissance this season, posting two emphatic wins apiece to start the Baywide premier title race.
Former Bay of Plenty Steamers skipper Wayne Ormond is back where it all started for him in a co-coaching/playing role for Rotoiti. He has joined Joe Fenton in taking charge of Rotoiti, with the leading Rotorua club thrashing Waikite 57-18 first-up before running in nine tries on their way to defeating Rangataua 58-14 last weekend.
Te Puna have retained the nucleus of last season's premier squad but have bolstered their lineup with a trio of quality players - Steamers utility Lance MacDonald, former Highlanders lock/loosie Daniel Quate and schoolboy star Te Aihe Toma.
Easter premier games open when Whakarewarewa host fellow Rotorua club Waikite at Puarenga Park tomorrow. Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui, both winless and in an unfamiliar position near the bottom of the standings, clash at Tauranga Domain on Saturday. On current form, defending Baywide champions Te Puke Sports should be too strong for Greerton Marist at Murray Salt Stadium while Opotiki host Rangataua in the Eastern Bay.
Former Baywide heavyweight Ngongotaha, who are at the top of the division one standings, should consolidate top spot when they visit Reporoa tomorrow, with unbeaten Paroa expected to get the better of Marist St Michaels in Rotorua. Poroporo are at home to Whakatane Marist under lights tonight while the sole Saturday division one game has Ruatoki hosting Rangiuru at Tuhoe Park.
Joint colts leaders Greerton Marist will contest a replay of last year's final against Te Puke Sports. While the defending champions have narrowly lost their first two games they are sure to give Greerton a real shake. The battle of the bridge curtain-raiser at Tauranga Domain will match up two former Baywide age-group champions.
PGG WRIGHTSON BAYWIDE GAMES
Premier (2.45pm)
Tomorrow: Whakarewarewa v Waikite (Puarenga Park).
Saturday: Te Puna v Rotoiti (Maramatanga Park), Tauranga Sports v Mount Maunganui (Tauranga Domain), Te Puke Sports v Greerton Marist (Murray Salt Stadium), Opotiki v Rangataua (Princess Street Reserve).
Points: Rotoiti 10, Te Puke Sports 9, Te Puna 9, Opotiki 7, Whakarewarewa 7, Waikite 5, Mount Maunganui 2, Tauranga Sports 2, Greerton Marist 1, Rangataua 0.
Division one (2.45pm unless specified)
Today: Poroporo v Whakatane Marist (Poroporo Park, 7pm).
Tomorrow: Reporoa v Ngongotaha, 1pm, Marist St Michaels v Paroa (Marist Park, 1pm), Te Teko v Kahukura (Dunderdale Park, 1pm).
Saturday: Ruatoki v Rangiuru (Tuhoe Park).
Points: Ngongotaha 10, Paroa 10, Kahukura 9, Poroporo 7, Te Teko 6, Marist St Michaels 5, Rangiuru 5, Whakatane Marist 2, Reporoa 0, Ruatoki 0.
Colts (1pm)
Tomorrow: Whakarewarewa v Ruatoki (Puarenga Park), Rotoiti v Kahukura (Emery Park).
Saturday: Te Puna v Marist St Michaels (Maramatanga Park), Te Puke Sports v Greerton Marist (Murray Salt Stadium), Tauranga Sports v Mount Maunganui (Tauranga Domain), Opotiki v Rangataua (Princess Street Reserve), Rotoiti v Kahukura (Emery Park), Waikite bye.
Points: Greerton Marist 10, Waikite 10, Mount Maunganui 9, Tauranga Sports 9, Rangataua 6, Ruatoki 5, Te Puna 5, Whakarewarewa 5, Kahukura 1, Marist St Michaels 0, Te Puke Sports 0, Opotiki 0, Rotoiti 0.