Baywide rugby: Te Puke take first-round honours

Te Puke captain Joe Johnston was one of his side’s try-scorers.

Te Puke Sports grabbed the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union Premier first round trophy when they beat arch-rivals Tauranga Sports 40-10 at the Pirates headquarters on Saturday.

The first round prize has been presented infrequently since Te Puke Sports won the trophy in 2019, due to Covid-19 and format changes.

The home side led 16-3 at the halfway stage of the match, before kicking on to post a 30-point victory. Te Puke fullback Fletcher Carpenter scored 18 points with two tries, two penalties and a conversion.

Grady Forbes, Kolinio Gonebale, joint man of the match Matt Stewart and Joe Johnston were Te Puke’s other try-scorers, with Jack Hollinshead also adding a conversion.

Winger Wemin Kapia’s performance earned him a share of the man-of-the-match honours.

The six-team second round will begin on Saturday with Te Puke taking on sixth-placed Rangataua at Te Ariki Park.

Rangataua pipped Mount Maunganui to sixth spot despite the Mount defeating Whakarewarewa in a thriller at Blake Park. The hosts opened the scoring from a bomb 40 metres out and added a second touchdown to lead 12-0 after 20 minutes.

Whakarewarewa’s first reply was the try of the game, with winger Cameron Dombroski snatching the ball from a Mount player and scampering 40 metres to dot the ball down.

Whakarewarewa led by two points at the break, before the two sides traded five-pointers in the second spell, with Mount Maunganui having the last say in taking out the close-fought battle 31-28.

Greerton Marist finished second in the preliminary competition after defeating Te Puna 43-12 at home. Rangataua ensured a place in the Premiership title race with a 58-5 win over Marist St Michaels, with Judea taking out their first victory of the season, 34-21 from Ngongotahā.

Greerton Marist tasted their first defeat of the season in the Western Bay of Plenty Sub-Union Championship when Te Puna controlled the action throughout for a 48-12 victory.

Mount Maunganui ran over Matakana Island 78-7, however the Islanders never gave up and were rewarded with the last touchdown of the encounter.

Other Western Bay sides to win were Tauranga Sports, who beat Te Puke Sports 31-5, Arataki defeated Judea 74-0, Pāpāmoa came out on top in their clash with Rangataua 39-33 and Katikati got past Eastern Districts 27-17.

New season Colts/Under-85kg recruits Pāpāmoa came back from a 14-10 deficit at the halftime break to beat Rotorua visitors Kahukura 34-21, notching their fourth win of the season.

Greerton Marist re-inked their credentials in the top four after defeating Te Puke Sports 43-28 with Mount Maunganui beating Te Puna 45-7.

BOPRU AR Plus Club Rugby Results

Premier

Rangataua 58 Marist St Michaels 5 (HT 20-5) Mount Maunganui 31 Whakarewarewa 28 (HT 19-21) Te Puke Sports 40 Tauranga Sports 10 (HT 16-3) Greerton Marist 43 Te Puna 12 (HT 31-0) Judea 34 Ngongotahā 21 (HT 24-0)

Points Table: Te Puke Sports 39, Greerton Marist 34, Te Puna 33, Tauranga Sports 33, Whakarewarewa 30, Rangataua 25, Mount Maunganui 23, Marist St Michaels 10, Judea 6, Ngongotahā 1.

BOPRU Colts/Under 85kg

Greerton Marist 43 Te Puke Sports 28, Pāpāmoa 34 Kahukura 21, Mount Maunganui 45 Te Puna 7, Tauranga Sports the bye.

WBOPRSU Senior mens

Mount Maunganui 78 Matakana Island 7, Tauranga Sports 31 Te Puke Sports 5, Te Puna 48 Greerton Marist 12, Arataki 74 Judea 0, Pāpāmoa 39 Rangataua 33, Katikati 27 Eastern Districts 17, Rangiuru the bye.