Tough opening fixtures for the Bay and Coast

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

RUGBY

POVERTY Bay face a tough away opening match in the 2019 Heartland Championship.

The Bay head to Paeroa to take on Meads Cup defending champions Thames Valley in Week 1 on Saturday, August 24.

They host South Canterbury at Rugby Park on August 31, followed by North Otago in Gisborne on September 7, Wairarapa Bush in Masterton on September 14, Mid Canterbury in Gisborne on September 21, Horowhenua Kapiti in Waikanae on September 28, Ngati Porou East Coast in Gisborne on October 5 and Buller in Westport on October 12.

The Coast open their account against Buller in Westport on August 24, followed by Mid Canterbury in Ruatoria (Aug 31), Thames Valley in Paeroa (Sept 7), King Country in Ruatoria (Sept 14), Wanganui in Whanganui (Sept 21), West Coast in Ruatoria (Sept 28), Poverty Bay in Gisborne (Oct 5) and North Otago in Ruatoria (Oct 12).

The top four teams from the 12 provinces qualify for the Meads Cup semifinals while teams from fifth to eighth contest the Lochore Cup semifinals.

The semis are on October 19 and the finals are scheduled for October 26 (Meads Cup) and October 27 (Lochore Cup).

Last year Poverty Bay finished 11th in the Heartland Championship while the Coast were bottom of the table.

Thames Valley qualified fourth for the Meads Cup but went on to beat Wanganui 17-7 in the semifinals and South Canterbury 17-12 in the final.

Horowhenua Kapiti defeated Wairarapa Bush 26-23 in the Lochore Cup final.

Poverty Bay beat Wairarapa Bush 27-22 and lost 37-34 to Thames Valley in round-robin play.