Basketball: Home losses
Neither Tauranga City team capitalised on home support at the weekend, failing to qualify for the national under-15 championships in what was possibly the last age-group national qualifying tournament held at TECT Arena.
With Basketball New Zealand's proposed regionalisation, teams from around the region will no longer compete to secure a spot at national tournaments.
Results from the weekend were tight, with several overtime games and the bottom-placed girls team's biggest losing margin just nine points.
In the boys' sections, the top team in each pool, Waikato A and Rotorua, went through to the grand final, which saw Rotorua edge out Waikato by one point, 58-57.
In crossover games to find the other two qualifiers, Waikato B defeated Tauranga City A 76-65 and Counties Manukau A defeated Counties Manukau B 74-47. Tauranga B finished seventh with the Tauranga development team finishing ninth.
The girls' grand final was between Thames Valley and Waikato A, with the Swamp Foxes running out comfortable winners.
Other teams to qualify were Rotorua and Waikato B. Tauranga City girls finished fifth.
Meanwhile, Tauranga's Kelcy Ballantyne has led the New Zealand girls to a victory in their final appearance at the Australian under-16 championships in Tamworth, defeating Queensland North 53-40.
Trailing in the final quarter, the Kiwis kept their opponents scoreless for the final nine minutes, rattling on the last 16 points of the game to secure the win. Ballantyne led all scorers with 14 points (5/7 from the field, 4/6 free throws). New Zealand finished with four wins and four losses to finish ninth.
Athletics: Oakley stumbles
Tauranga's Julian Oakley found the pace too hot, bowing out in the heats of the 800m at the world junior championships in Barcelona, Spain.
Oakley finished well back in his 800m heat in a time of 1m 54.74s, getting a check with 250m which broke his rhythm.
Brad Mathas came closest to progressing to the next round, finishing fourth in the first 800m heat in 1 minute 49.73 seconds and ending the event as the fourth fastest outside the automatic qualifiers.
With only three qualifiers by time, Mathas missed making the semifinals by 0.18sec.
Auckland discus thrower Siositina Hakeai set a big personal best to finish fourth.
A personal best of 56.17m in the final round saw her add almost one metre to the New Zealand women's 18s record held by former world senior champion Beatrice Faumuina.
The discus brought a close to the championships for the 13-strong New Zealand team, which finished 18th on the medals table thanks to Jacko Gill's dominant victory in the shot put.
New Zealand also claimed a creditable 20th place in the placings table, courtesy of five top-eight performances to Gill (shot put), Hakeai (discus), Julia Ratcliffe (hammer), Portia Bing (heptathlon) and Rebekah Greene (1500m).
Rugby League: True to form
The form book held true on Saturday as the favourites emerged in the WaiCoa Bays club rugby league competition's first round of finals.
Taniwharau fired a warning to the rest of the sides, running in 12 tries to thump Rotorua's Pikiao Warriors 60-12 at Davies Park in Huntly, booking themselves a place in the playoffs for a further two weekends.
Both teams were guaranteed an extra life no matter the result.
However, the Warriors now face sudden death this weekend.
Also facing sudden death this weekend are the Otumoetai Eels, who were beaten at home 48-20 by the Pacific Sharks.
Two teams were eliminated on Saturday, with the Tauranga Whalers bundled out by going down 32-16 to visitors Hukanui, and Turangawaewae are also out after a heartbreaking 41-40 loss in golden point extra time away to Taupo Phoenix.
At Tauranga's Mitchell Park, the Sharks were far too strong all over the park against the injury-ravaged Bay Sprint Couriers Eels.
Otumoetai look a completely different outfit to the team that rolled Pacific earlier in the season by over 30 points but with several of their leading players back this weekend, their fortunes could change in the sudden-death match against Hukanui at Mitchell Park.
This weekend also sees Pikiao taking on Taupo in another sudden death match in Rotorua. In the battle of the four heavyweights, Pacific travel to title favourites Hamilton City Tigers, with Ngaruawahia hosting Taniwharau.
The winners of those matches get the following weekend off and earn hosting rights for the semifinals on August 4, while the losers go on to play sudden death matches.
WaiCoa Bays Premier club rugby league competition: Finals, Week 1:
Taniwharau 60 Pikiao Warriors 12; Pacific Sharks 48 Otumoetai Eels 20; Hukanui 32 Tauranga Whalers 16; Taupo Phoenix 41 Turangawaewae 40 (golden point).
Golf: Pender in money
Tauranga's Jared Pender has earned himself a A$2357 ($3030) payday by finishing joint third at the rain-ravaged City of Mackay Open in Queensland.
After losing the first two days to unseasonable weather, play was completed on what should have been day three but the final round has also been wiped out, leaving the event to be decided over just the one round.
So the two New Zealanders, Pender and Hawke's Bay's Doug Holloway, who were poised just one shot back, never got the opportunity to challenge.
Adam Crawford (Queensland) and Daniel Fox (Western Australia) were declared joint winners after rounds of 63 on Saturday, with Pender and Holloway firing seven-under 64s.
Omanu's James Hamilton finished on four-under 67 after his solitary round to tie 15th, with Omokoroa pro Kieran Muir back tied in 55th after a 70.
Bay of Plenty amateur Peter Lee has finished in a share of 16th in the boys' 15-17 years category at the junior world championship in San Diego.
Lee, who finished runner-up to Vaughan McCall in the New Zealand amateur in April, carded rounds of 78, 73, 75 and 73 at Torrey Pines for an 11-over par total, 13 shot back from Californian Rico Hoey who won by one shot.
New Zealand No1 Danny Lee climbed 30 places in the final round of the John Deere Classic on the US PGA Tour after firing a five-under par 66 at the TPC Deere Run course in Illinois.
The 21-year-old former Bay of Plenty rep, who is projected to climb to 148 in the Fed Ex Cup Standings, made seven birdies and two bogeys to finish tied 30th, 10 shots back from Americans Zach Johnson and Troy Matteson.
The former world No1 amateur has now made the cut in nine out of 17 events and been disqualified twice in his maiden year on the PGA Tour.
Lee has some ground to make up in the next few weeks if he is going to make the top 125 and qualify for the Fed Ex Cup playoff which begins at The Barclays on August 23- 26.
Club rugby: Sports on double
There was double celebration at Tauranga Domain on Saturday after Tauranga Sports' second team took out the Seeka KI Western Bay of Plenty Merv Scholes trophy competition and retained the Hardy Rosebowl.
Tauranga Sports bowled through the Western Bay top four competition with an unbeaten record, scoring 137 points and conceding just 20. The four Merv Scholes Trophy teams now go onto their respective Baywide playoffs. Katikati and Arataki will represent the region in the division two competition, with Tauranga Sports and Mount Maunganui bound for the senior reserve playoffs.
The Western Bay Challenge trophies merry-go-round continued with the premier and colts trophies changing hands. Rangataua's Jordan Cup tenure lasted just a week after they were bowled 40-29 by Greerton Marist.
In the colts games between the Western Bay sides, Te Puna relieved Tauranga Sports of the Oliver Cup.
In the Phelan Cup competition, Papamoa, Rangiuru, Matakana Island and Te Puna advanced to the semifinals.
Seeka KI Western Bay scores:
Merv Scholes Trophy: Tauranga Sports 63 Arataki 10, Mount Maunganui 31 Katikati 31.
Phelan Cup: Te Puna 17 Greerton Marist 12, Judea 21 Rangataua 7, Papamoa 30 Matakana Island 17, Rangiuru def Eastern Districts. Phelan Cup semifinals (home team first): Papamoa v Te Puna, Rangiuru v Matakana Island.
Football: City United rise
Tauranga City United are celebrating promotion back into the Waikato-Bay of Plenty football federation's top flight - and they have done it with three rounds of games to spare.
Tauranga City thumped bottom of the table Matamata 6-1 away on Saturday to grab an unassailable lead in the title race. Tauranga's win lifted them to 39 points, with nearest challengers HRFC Clube Alegria and Cambridge back on 27.
Clube Alegria thrashed Rotorua United 9-2. With Cambridge beaten 1-0 by Te Awamutu, Alegria are now favoured to join Tauranga in division one next season.
In the other game, West Hamilton and Katikati battled out a scoreless draw.
In division one, Taupo successfully retained the Challenge Shield and retained their one-point lead in the league table with a convincing 5-0 win over Otorohanga, while second placed Claudelands Rovers kept the pressure on when they beat Tauranga Boys' College 3-1.
At the bottom end, Rotorua United registered just their second win of the season with a solid 2-0 win over Waikato Unicol who, along with Tauranga Boys', are drifting into the relegation zone.
With Melville losing 2-1 to Otumoetai, Whakatane Town overcoming AFC Fury 2-0 and Ngongotaha registering their third successive win when they beat Old Blues 4-2, there is a log jam in mid-table with six points separating six teams.
At Crown Park, Taupo, as expected, dominated their game against Otorohanga and with goals from Alan Lamb and Mark Thessman, they were 2-0 up at the break.
In the dressing room, coach Paul Drake stressed the need not only to take three points but also improving their goal difference.
Lamb scored twice more to register yet another hat-trick and Dave Stewart stretched the lead to five, while the defence coped well with the odd Otorohanga attack to keep a clean sheet.
Whakatane Town's 36th minute goal from Scott Marrow gave them a 1-0 lead at the break against AFC Fury. They were held scoreless in the second half until coach Mike Ward brought himself on and doubled their lead in the 87th minute. It was a game that Whakatane were always in control of and Fury were flattered by the scoreline.
Ngongotaha continued their recent good form as a hat-trick from Neil Slater and a goal to Dayne Willemsen gave them a convincing win against Old Blues at Waipuna Park. Old Blues coach Andy Legget was not happy after the game. "We were not good today, especially defensively, but take nothing away from Ngongotaha, they have some good young players and deserved their win."
After a poor performance last week, Otumoetai bounced back with a home win against Melville United. Scott Miller and Joel Hollinshead scored to give Otumoetai a deserved lead at the break and although Melville narrowed the score in the second half, the home side were never in danger of losing this one.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Federation league:
Federation one: Whakatane Town 2 AFC Fury 0, Old Blues 2 Ngongotaha 4, Tauranga Boys College 1 Claudelands Rovers 3, Otumoetai 2 Melville United 1, Waikato Unicol 0 Rotorua United 2, Taupo 5 Otorohanga 0. Points: Taupo 40, Claudelands 39, Melville 24, Whakatane 21, Ngongotaha 21, AFC Fury 21, Otumoetai 19, Old Blues 18, Waikato Unicol 15, Tauranga Boys' College 13, Rotorua United 11, Otorohanga 5.
Federation two: West Hamilton 0 Katikati 0; Rotorua United 2 HRFC Clube Alegria 9; Matamata Swifts 1 Tauranga City 6; Te Awamutu 1 Cambridge 0; Tokoroa - bye. Points: Tauranga City 39, HRFC Clube Alegria 27, Cambridge 27, Katikati 25, Te Awamutu 18, Tokoroa 16, Rotorua United 10, West Hamilton 9, Matamata Fed 5.
Hockey: Bayleys represent
Reigning champions Bayleys Otumoetai will again fly the Tauranga flag on Intercity finals day in Hamilton this weekend after a tense win over Rotorua Aces in their premier women's semifinal on Saturday.
Otumoetai suffered losses to both Aces and Fraser Tech in the trophy round but drew on their playoffs experience to narrowly defeat Aces 3-2 in Rotorua.
The teams turned with Otumoetai ahead 2-1 and both sides scored again in the second spell to take it to 3-2. Then, with five minutes to go, an unusual event occurred when Aces goalkeeper was suspended for abusing the umpire, although Otumoetai were unable to capitalise by adding to their score.
Dani Saunders, Abbie Johnson and Katrina Carson scored for Otumoetai, with former Otumoetai striker Oriwa Hepi and Renee Ngatai on target for Aces.
In the other semifinal at Hamilton, the youthful Fraser Tech team outplayed Hamilton Old Girls to win 3-1, setting up a repeat of last year's final between Otumoetai and Fraser Tech, which Tech lost in extra-time.
In the premier men's playoffs, Rotorua Aces were too strong for CMS Mt Maunganui. In an entertaining game played at frenetic pace at the Tauranga Hockey Centre, Aces' skilful forwards found holes in Mount's defence, scoring their first in the opening minute and opening up a 3-1 lead by the interval.
Mount came out in the second half determined to close the gap and put pressure on the Aces defence, especially Shaun Matthews but they were unable register a goal.
Aces scored a good team goal halfway through the second spell and Mount responded with a similar scoring move a few minutes later. Aces then extended their margin with a fine strike with eight minutes left so the Mt Maunganui coach withdrew his goalie and put on an extra field player in the hope of closing the gap, but it was in vain.
Reigning champions Thames Valley were forced to work hard for their win in the other semifinal against Fraser Tech at Hamilton, winning 2-0 with Valley's ex-internationals Casey Henwood and Lloyd Stevenson organising their defences superbly to keep their goal intact.
Bayleys Otumoetai will play for the plate against Kohekohe at finals day at Hamilton after a 5-1 win against Waiau Pa.
Intercity playoffs:
Premier women:
Otumoetai 3 (Dani Saunders, Abbie Johnson, Katrina Carson) Rotorua Aces 2 (Oriwa Hepi, Renee Ngatai), HT 2-1.
Fraser Tech 3 (Shiloh Glyn, Imogen Neal, Kate Kernaghan) Hamilton Old Girls 1 (Susan Johnson), HT 3-0.
Onewhero 5 Taupo 1.
Waikato University 11 Mt Maunganui 1, HT 3-0.
Franklin 3 Te Awamutu 1, HT 2-0.
Premier men:
Rotorua Aces 5 (Jury Herewini 2, Connor Herewini, Tuterangi Raharuhi, Hoete Mitai-Ngatai) Mt Maunganui 2 (Cory Bruin, Lincoln Churchill), HT 3-1.
Thames Valley 2 (Jonty Kearney, Casey Henwood) Fraser Tech 0, HT 0-0.
Waikato University 8 Pukekohe Indians 2, HT 5-1.
Kohekohe 4 Suburbs Old Boys 3, HT 2-0.
Otumoetai 5 (Gareth Marshall 2, Terry Thomas, Tyler Bruin, Aaron Buchanan) Waiau Pa 1 (Aidan Goodwin), HT 2-0.
Onewhero 4 Rotorua Indians 2.
Varsity Reserves 2 Te Awamutu 1.
Rugby: Cooney on board
Tauranga lawyer Owen Cooney has joined the board of Bay of Plenty Rugby as an independent director, filling the casual vacancy left when Bruce Cameron was added to the New Zealand Rugby Union board in May.
Cooney is a partner in Tauranga Law firm Cooney Lees Morgan and brings a business background and lifetime passion for rugby to the Bay.
He turned out for Tauranga Old Boys in his playing days and has been honorary solicitor for Tauranga Sports for the last decade, in addition to coaching junior rugby.
"I have admired the current Bay of Plenty board for putting the union in a sound financial position and for restoring pride in the blue and gold uniform," Cooney said.
"I want to put something back into the local community and believe I have a set of specific business skills to assist govern a successful sporting organisation."
Cooney believes the Bay of Plenty Steamers can earn a permanent place in the top four of the national provincial competition.